1994                                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                                         Ch. 296

rather than to distinguish natural parents from adoptive parents.
ET § 1-207 provides that an adopted child is treated as a natural
child of the adopting parent. In § 5-520(b) and (c) of this
subtitle, the distinction between natural parents and adoptive
parents is retained because the statute deals specifically with
the relationship between natural and adoptive parents and with
their distinct rights. In § 5-529 of this subtitle, the
reference to a "natural parent" is retained because the General
Assembly did not delete the word "natural" in the revision of a
companion provision in HG § 6-131 when that limitation was
brought to the General Assembly's attention. This revision is
called to the attention of the General Assembly.

Also throughout this subtitle, there are various provisions
that inconsistently refer to a child's "parent" in some instances
and to a child's ."parent or guardian" in others. These
discrepancies are retained, but the Commission to Revise the
Annotated Code recommends that the General Assembly review them
to determine whether these variations are appropriate.

SUBTITLE 6. INTERSTATE COMPACT ON THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN.

5-601. COMPACT ENTERED INTO; GENERAL PROVISIONS.

THE INTERSTATE COMPACT ON THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN IS
HEREBY ENTERED INTO BY THIS STATE WITH ALL STATES LEGALLY JOINING
IN THE COMPACT IN THE FORM SUBSTANTIALLY AS FOLLOWS:

(A)  FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY CHILD PLACED PURSUANT TO
THE PROVISIONS OF THE INTERSTATE COMPACT ON THE PLACEMENT OF
CHILDREN SHALL BE DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF
§ 5-606 OF THIS SUBTITLE. HOWEVER, IN THE EVENT OF PARTIAL OR
COMPLETE DEFAULT OF PERFORMANCE THEREUNDER, THE PROVISIONS OF
STATE LAWS FIXING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SUPPORT OF CHILDREN ALSO
MAY BE INVOKED.

(B)   "APPROPRIATE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES" DEFINED.

THE "APPROPRIATE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES" AS USED IN § 5-604 OF
THE INTERSTATE COMPACT ON THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN SHALL, WITH
REFERENCE TO THIS STATE, MEAN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
THIS DEPARTMENT SHALL RECEIVE AND ACT WITH REFERENCE TO NOTICES
REQUIRED BY § 5-604 OF THIS SUBTITLE.

(C)   "APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY IN THE RECEIVING STATE" DEFINED.

AS USED IN § 5-606(A) OF THE INTERSTATE COMPACT ON THE
PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN, THE PHRASE "APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY IN THE
RECEIVING STATE" WITH REFERENCE TO THIS STATE SHALL MEAN THE
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES.

(D)  AGREEMENTS.