HARRY HUGHES, Governor                                  4647

(ii) in the report of the death, make an
exact inventory of the property; and

(iii) deliver the property to the
appropriate sheriff or police department.

(2) The sheriff or police department shall
surrender the property to the person who is entitled to its
possession or custody.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That "Subtitle
10. Controlled Dangerous Substances" of Title 10 of the
Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, of the Annotated
Code of Maryland, be renamed to be "Subtitle 10. Chain of
Custody".

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That "Part I.
Controlled Dangerous Substances" be added to Subtitle 10,
Title 10, of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, of
the Annotated Code of Maryland, to precede Sections 10-1001,
10-1002, and 10-1003.

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That section(s)
of the Annotated Code of Maryland read(s) as follows:

Article - Courts and Judicial Proceedings

PART II. BODIES

10-1004.

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE
MEANINGS INDICATED.

(2) "MEDICAL EXAMINER'S CASE" HAS THE MEANING
STATED IN § 5-301(C) OF THE HEALTH - GENERAL ARTICLE.

(3) "MORTICIAN" HAS THE MEANING STATED IN §
6-101(K) OF THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE.

(B) (1) IN A CRIMINAL PROCEEDING FOR A DEATH WHICH IS
A MEDICAL EXAMINER'S CASE, THE CHAIN OF PHYSICAL CUSTODY AND
CONTROL MAY BE ESTABLISHED BY A SIGNED STATEMENT BY THE
MORTICIAN, OR THE MORTICIAN'S AGENT, SERVANT, OR EMPLOYEE,
WHO TRANSPORTED THE BODY TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE,
WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF THE PERSONAL APPEARANCE IN COURT BY
THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THE STATEMENT.

(2) THE STATEMENT SHALL CONTAIN:

(I) A DESCRIPTION OF THE INITIAL CONDITION
OF THE BODY WHEN IT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY THE MORTICIAN
OR THE MORTICIAN'S AGENT, SERVANT, OR EMPLOYEE;