258

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 21

REVISOR'S NOTE: This section is new language derived
without substantive change from former Article
43, § 62, except the last clause of that section.

Throughout this section, the defined term "health
officer" -- which includes the Baltimore City
Commissioner of Health -- is used to clarify the
scope of this section. This use is based on the
former reference to payment of costs by "the
city, town or county".

In the introductory clause of subsection (a) of
this section, the reference "take control of a
body" is substituted for the obsolete reference
"order the body to be removed and buried at the
cost of the city ...", to conform to § 5-406 of
this title, which provides for disposition of
bodies under the control of public officers and
others.

Also in the introductory clause of subsection (a)
of this section, the former reference to the body
"of anyone who has died of any infectious
disease" is deleted as unnecessary in light of
the broad reference to "a condition that
endangers an individual".

In subsection (a)(1) of this section, the words
"{a}t least" are added to avoid the unintended
implication that more than 3 individuals could
not petition the health officer.

Also in subsection (a)(1) of this section, the
defined term "physician" is substituted for the
reference to "a qualified medical practitioner",
for clarity.

Also in subsection (a)(1) of this section, the
reference to asking "in writing" for an order is
substituted for the reference to "a certificate
signed by a qualified medical practitioner or the
application of three persons", for clarity and
brevity.

In subsection (a)(2) and (3) of this section, the
references to "final disposition" are substituted
for the references to burial, to encompass
dispositions such as cremation and to conform to
similar references elsewhere in this article.

Defined terms: "Body" § 5-101

"Health officer" § 1-101 "Physician" § 1-101

"Person" § 1-101