Ch. 55                               MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                                   73

the power by proclamation to appoint a day or days for the general cessation of
business in any one or more of the political subdivisions of the State, in case of
emergency from fire, flood or otherwise, with the same legal consequences as
hereinabove provided. In case of emergency from fire, flood, storm, snow, robbery,
riot, or other cause of any kind whatsoever in any part of the State, the Governor
shall have the further power by proclamation to appoint a day or days during
which banking institutions (as defined in Article 11 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland) within the area or areas designated in the proclamation may remain
the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, with the same legal
consequences as hereinabove provided. If the emergency condition is confined to
one or more particular banking institutions or branch offices, the proclamation
shall be limited to the institutions or offices so designated. In the event an
emergency condition arises and it is not practicable to obtain a proclamation prior
to actual closing, the institutions so affected may, by the action of the chairman of
the board of directors or the president of the institution, effect a closing; and such
closing shall have the same force and effect as a proclamation. In such instances
where the chairman of the board or the president elects to effect an emergency clos-
ing he shall, as soon as possible, but in no event later than twenty-four (24) hours
after closing, notify the Governor or his representative of the reasons for closing.
In any case, the emergency closing shall have the force and effect of a
proclamation only (a) until the first of the following events occurs: (1) the issuance
of a proclamation by the Governor pertaining to the emergency closing, (2) notice
to the institution that the Governor declines to issue a proclamation, or (3)
reopening of the institution by the chairman of the board or the president; or (b)
until five o'clock on the third day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal
holidays) following the day on which the chairman or the president closed the
institution.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take
effect July 1, 1973.

Approved April 13, 1973.

CHAPTER 55
(House Bill 1268)

AN ACT to to authorize the creation of a State debt in the aggregate amount of
Seventy Million Dollars ($70,000,000), the proceeds thereof to be used to
provide State grants to assist in the construction of sewage treatment plants and
related facilities, to finance certain water quality studies, to assist in the
construction, extension, and improvement of existing public sanitary sewer
systems, and to assist in the construction of temporary sewage treatment plants
and related facilities, to provide conditions of eligibility for such State grants
and limitations thereon, to provide generally for the issue and sale of bonds
evidencing such loan, and to provide, under certain circumstances, that general
funds be used to pay the principal and interest on said bonds; to repeal and
re-enact, with amendments, Section 5(b) of Chapter 445 of the Laws of
Maryland (1968), as amended by Chapter 653 of the Laws of Maryland (1969),
Chapter 246 of the Laws of Maryland (1970), and Chapter 242 of the Laws of
Maryland (1972), to conform the provisions thereof relating to the financing of
certain water pollution projects to revised Federal laws and regulations, and to
amend the conditions and limitations on State grants for such projects; to repeal