1398

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 323

(House Bill 223)

AN ACT concerning

Local Mental Health Advisory Committees

FOR the purpose of changing the membership categories of the
local mental health advisory committees to include
practicing mental health professionals and certain
recipients and relatives of recipients of mental health
care, and to delete physicians and certain local
councils on alcoholism; correcting certain obsolete
references; and numbering certain provisions.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 43 - Health

Section 1J (c)

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1971 Replacement Volume and 1977 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article 43 - Health

1J.

(c) (1) The governing body of each county and of
Baltimore City shall establish a mental health advisory
committee and appoint the members of it. Membership shall
consist of one representative FROM each [from] OF THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: the local governing body, the
department of education, the department of social services,
the practicing [physicians] physicians, OTHER MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS, the clergy, the legal profession, the mental
health association, where one exists, [the local council on
alcoholism, where one exists], AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS OR IS
RECEIVING MENTAL HEALTH CARE, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS A
RELATIVE OF A MENTAL HEALTH CARE RECIPIENT, and at least
three [additional] members representing the community [as a
whole]. The term of office of each member is three years
commencing from the first day of July of the year of
appointment except that of the members first appointed one
third shall be appointed for a term of two years and one
third for a term of one year. Members who have served two
consecutive full terms may not be eligible for reappointment
for a period of three years following completion of their
terms. The officers of the committee shall be elected
annually by the membership and the chairmanship may not be
held by the same person for more than two consecutive years.
The committee is empowered to create internal subcommittees
and draw in additional participants as needed. The local
health officer, the regional mental health director, and a
representative of the appropriate inpatient unit of the