MARVIN MANDEL, Governor

1089

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That Section 601(c) of Article 43 - Health, of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1971 Replacement Volume
and 1974 Supplement) be and it is hereby repealed and
re—enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

Article 43 - Health

601.

(c) If as a result of such investigation,
the unit shall determine that such person, his or her
relatives, or other persons shall be required to pay for
his or her care or a part thereof, it shall FROM A
SCHEDULE OF CHARGES specify the amount of such payments
to be made[, which shall not exceed the average per diem
cost of maintaining a patient in such center,] and the
times when the same are to be made. [Such average per
diem cost] THE SCHEDULE OF CHARGES shall be determined AT
LEAST annually by THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND MENTAL
HYGIENE, the State Comptroller and the [State Budget
Director between September 1 and December 1] SECRETARY OF
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND FISCAL PLAINING. The
investigation unit is authorized to set the rate of
payments retroactively to become effective as of the date
of admission to the center or as of the date of beginning
the investigations of the financial condition of the
patient and of other persons legally chargeable for his
maintenance and support, whichever is the later date; but
the effective date may not be set more than [six] 12
months prior to the date of the order unless there has
been a failure on the part of the patient's guardian or
committee or other persons legally chargeable with his
maintenance and support, to file the financial reports or
statements required by the investigation unit. The
investigation unit shall have the power to require the
relatives of any such persons or others legally
chargeable with his or her care, to enter into
appropriate and binding agreements with respect to the
making of such payments, and may from time to time modify
or change the terms thereof, as the circumstances may
justify; except with respect to those patients who have
been or shall remain in such center for a period in
excess of thirty (30) months under any one admission, the
rate chargeable to the family of the patient shall
thereafter not exceed twenty—five (25) percent of the
[per capita cost] CHARGE ESTABLISHED FOR THE CARE OF THE
PATIENT. In arriving at the amount to be paid, the
investigation unit shall have due regard for the
financial means or abilities of the patient, or the
person or persons legally responsible for the patient's