Ch. 356                             MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                                 771

patient's care in any such hospital has misrepresented assets or submitted
fraudulent information, and by so doing has avoided such claim or part of such a
claim for the patient's care, there shall be a period of limitations of six years on
the claim against the estate. Such claim shall be a preferred claim against the
estate of any such person, and all claims arising hereunder against the relatives and
any other persons legally chargeable with the care of such person, shall also
constitute preferred claims. All such claims may be waived, however, by the
CENTRAL collection unit UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE
INVESTIGATION UNIT [in its discretion,] if in its judgment the enforcement
of the same will result in hardship to others, dependent upon those against whom
such claims exist. All payments received as a result of the enforcement of such
claims shall be accounted for and paid as hereinbefore provided.

(f) The [collection] INVESTIGATION unit is authorized and empowered to
adopt and promulgate reasonable rules and regulations covering the details of
enforcing the power and procedures provided for in this section. It is intended that
such rules and regulations be applied uniformly to patients in mental hospitals and
to patients in chronic disease hospitals so far as it is practical; however, such rules
and regulations as they apply to the admission and discharge of patients in chronic
disease hospitals are subject to the concurrence of the State Board of Health.

(g) Nothing contained herein however shall prevent the Department of Mental
Hygiene from accepting in lieu of the requirements of this section those
requirements regarding the investigation of financial condition, standards of
eligibility and legal responsibility of patients, their responsible relatives, legal
representatives, and the estate of patients or legally responsible relatives, as set out
in the medical assistance plan or the federal laws and regulations under Title XIX
of the Social Security Amendment of 1965, or other amendments thereto as may
be enacted from time to time.

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That all laws or parts of
laws, public general or public local, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
repealed to the extent of the inconsistency. Any such law which authorizes and
directs any agency or official of the State to collect, adjust or settle any delinquent
debt or account due to the State or any agency or official thereof in his official
capacity shall be determined to vest such authority in the Central Collection unit
created within the Department of Budget and Fiscal Planning, provided, however,
that this Section shall not apply to the collection, adjustment or settlement of taxes
by the Comptroller

SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take
effect July 1, 1973.

Approved May 7, 1973.

CHAPTER 356
(House Bill 1610)

AN ACT to add new Sections 419 through 446, inclusive, to the Code of Public
Local Laws of Queen Anne's County (Article 18 of the Code of Public Local
Laws of Maryland (1930 Edition)), title "Queen Anne's County", to follow
immediately after Section 418 thereof, as added by Chapter 583 of the Acts of
1966, and to be under the new subtitle "Sanitary District", to provide in Queen
Anne's County for the creation and implementation of a Sanitary District in the