2154                                          LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [Ch. 640

regulations as may be necessary for the implementation of
this section.

(f) The payment by any county or Baltimore City to
the State Department of Health of the sum specified in
this section, plus any supplementation of this sum by any
State or federal funds, shall be treated and considered
up to the particular aggregate amount as compliance with
any public local law for that county or Baltimore City
which requires or permits the county or city to pay
moneys to a hospital or hospitals. The amount of any
such payment under this section, together with its
supplementation, shall be deducted from any payment or
payments otherwise payable under the public local laws
for the county or Baltimore City. If the payment of sum
specified in this section plus the supplementation
therefor is less than the total obligation of the county
or Baltimore City under its public local laws, the amount
of difference shall be paid over by the county or city to
the hospital or hospitals, in substantially the same
ratio as that required in the public local laws. If the
payment of the sum specified in this section plus the
supplementation therefor exceeds the total obligation of
the county or city under its public local laws, the
obligation of the county or city under its public local
laws is satisfied and extinguished.

[[SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That new
Section 42A be and it is hereby added to Article 43 —
Health, of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1971
Replacement Volume and 1973 Supplement) to read as
follows:

Article 43 - Health
42A.

EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1974, THE COSTS FOR THE HOSPITAL
CARE OF INDIGENT AND MEDICALLY INDIGENT PERSONS UNDER
PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
AND MENTAL HYGIENE SHALL BE THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND.]]

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section
312(j) of Article 81 — Revenue and Taxes, of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume and
1973 Supplement) be and it is hereby repealed and
re—enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

Article 81 — Revenue and Taxes
312.