MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                            2187

any person for assistance under any other State Law.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1976.

Approved May 17, 1976.

CHAPTER 792

(House Bill 1594)

AN ACT concerning

High Blood Pressure Commission

FOR the purpose of creating a High Blood Pressure
Commission; providing for the appointment of a
certain number of persons to the Commission for a
fixed term; providing for certain personnel of the
Commission; requiring the Commission to establish
certain guidelines and educational programs;
requiring the Commission to evaluate the high blood
pressure program on an annual basis and report to
the Governor; providing for certain funds to
implement the high blood pressure program; and
generally relating to the creation of a High Blood
Pressure Commission.

BY adding to

Article 43 - Health

Section 871 through 874, inclusive, to be under the

new subtitle "High Blood Pressure

Commission"
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1971 Replacement Volume and 1975 Supplement)

Preamble

WHEREAS, High blood pressure affects at least
400,000 citizens in Maryland with less than 15 percent of
these being adequately treated. Inadequately treated or
untreated high blood pressure, and its complications,
continues to be the leading factor in the death of 16,000
Marylanders annually; yet, the present state of the
medical art allows control in most persons with high
blood pressure. Until very recently, the primary
objective of the National High Blood Pressure Education
Program has been to increase the public's awareness of
the disease. While awareness continues to be the first