HARRY HUGHES, Governor

1397

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be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows: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 88A — Social Services Administration

102.

As used in this subtitle, "battered spouse" means an
individual who [has] IS IN IMMINENT FEAR OF OR HAS received
deliberate, severe, and demonstrable physical injury from a
—[—spouse—]— PERSON with whom he or she shares a house.

103.

The Secretary of Human Resources shall establish and
maintain a model shelter home located in a major population
center of the State, The model shelter shall be located so
as to facilitate the use of the shelter by battered spouses
and their children living in the region surrounding the
shelter. The purpose of the model shelter shall be to house,
care for, and rehabilitate battered spouses and their
children. The shelter [homes'] HOME shall be designed and
staffed as follows:

(a)   Each THE shelter shall provide battered spouses
and their children with a temporary residence and necessary
counselling [to make an orderly transfer from the home with
the abusing spouse to their own independent housing].

(b)   The Social Services Administration shall
supervise, direct, control and manage the shelter [homes]

HOME.

(c)   The Social Services Administration shall establish
standards of care and admission policies. The Administration
shall monitor the operation of the shelter home and annually
evaluate its effectiveness.

(d)   The shelter home is subject to rules and
regulations promulgated by the Social Services
Administration. The home shall accept, from the police and
other referral sources in the community, battered spouses
and their children for temporary shelter- Housing may be
provided under this subtitle only if the applicant for
housing is a resident of Maryland at the time application
for housing is made.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1979.

Approved May 29, 1979.