886

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 319

tax shall thereafter be paid by the County Commissioners
on September 30 and June 30 of each year, beginning on
September 30, 1974, to all the fire departments in
Charles County. The proceeds shall be distributed as
directed by the Board of Fire and Rescue Commissioners,
(which is hereby created and] which shall be composed of
[six] SEVEN members, one of whom shall be a County
Commissioner of Charles County, one of whom shall be
elected by the Charles County Volunteer Firemen's
Association, one of whom shall be elected by the Charles
County Association of Emergency Medical Services, and
[three] FOUR of whom shall be appointed by the Governor.
The gubernatorial members of the Board of Fire and Rescue
Commissioners shall serve without compensation for terms
of four years each, and the remaining members shall serve
without compensation for one year terms, with vacancies
to be filled in the same manner as the original
membership was filled. ALSO, THE MOST RECENTLY APPOINTED
GUBERNATORIAL MEMBER SHALL BE A PERSON WHO IS NOT
AFFILIATED WITH THE FIREMEN'S ASSOCIATION OR EMERGENCY
MEDICAL SERVICES OF CHARLES COUNTY. THE INITIAL TERM OF
THIS MEMBER SHALL BE UNTIL JULY 1, 1979. THEREAFTER, THE
FOUR GUBERNATORIAL MEMBERS SHALL BE COMPRISED OF TWO
PERSONS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE FIREMEN'S ASSOCIATION OR
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES OF CHARLES COUNTY, AND TWO
PERSONS WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE OPERATIONAL
FUNCTIONS OF THE FIREMEN'S ASSOCIATION AND EMERGENCY
MEDICAL SERVICES OF CHARLES COUNTY.

126B.

(g) [In the event that] WHEN a qualified volunteer
dies, a [burial] DEATH benefit [up to] OF $2,500 shall be
[payable] PAID.

126D.

(d) This program shall be funded in the following
manner:

(1) funds up to, but not to exceed 50
percent of its costs, [or one one hundredth (-01) of the]
OR ONE CENT FROM EACH ASSESSMENT OF THE FIRE tax [rate],
shall be taken from the fire tax fund [and rescue tax
funds] collected and disbursed under Sections 117 through
126 of the Code of Public Laws of Charles County. The
Board of Fire and Rescue Commissioners shall provide
annually such funds as are required from the fire tax
[and rescue tax] receipts.

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

Approved May 4, 1976.