Unfair Trade Practices
Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Residential Leases - Use of Algorithmic Device by Landlord to Determine Rent - Prohibition [SB-609]
Prohibiting a landlord from using certain algorithmic devices to determine the amount of rent to charge a residential tenant; making a violation of the Act an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act; and applying the Act prospectively.
Sponsored by: Sen. Sara Love
Hearing 2/11 At 1:00 P.m. on 01/30/2025
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Gettr Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Landlord and Tenant - Residential Leases - Prospective Tenant Criminal History Records Check (Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act) [SB-514]
Prohibiting a landlord from requiring or requesting from a prospective tenant certain information relating to criminal history and prohibiting a landlord from considering certain information when evaluating the prospective tenant; permitting a landlord to consider certain criminal history information prior to extending a conditional offer to a prospective tenant and requiring the landlord to consider certain information provided by a prospective tenant relating to a criminal history records check; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Shaneka Henson
Hearing 2/06 At 1:00 P.m. on 01/28/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Criminal Law - Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable and Senior Adults [HB-604]
Prohibiting a person who is a caregiver to or a family member or household member of an individual from knowingly and willfully obtaining the property of the individual with the intent to deprive the individual of the individual's property if the individual is a vulnerable adult or an individual of at least 68 years of age and the person knows or reasonably should know the individual is a vulnerable adult of at least 68 years of age; and providing certain penalties for a violation of the Act.
Sponsored by: Rep. Frank Conaway
Referred Judicial Proceedings Education, Energy, And The Environment on 03/07/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Criminal Law - Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable and Senior Adults [SB-466]
Prohibiting a caregiver, family member, or household member from knowingly and willfully obtaining the property of an individual the caregiver, family member, or household member knows or reasonably should know is a vulnerable or senior adult with the intent to deprive the vulnerable or senior adult of the property; making a violation of the Act an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice that is subject to enforcement and penalties under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Charles Muse
Third Reading Passed (44-0) on 03/17/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Vehicle Laws - Obscured, Modified, or Blocked Registration Plates and Registration Plate Covers [HB-470]
Prohibiting a person from obscuring or modifying any vehicle registration plate in a manner that may prevent identification.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dana Stein
Third Reading Passed (136-0) on 03/17/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Right to Repair - Powered Wheelchairs [SB-382]
Requiring, in order to make repairs to powered wheelchairs, that a certain manufacturer make available certain documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, and tools to a certain independent repair provider or owner of a powered wheelchair; providing that a violation of the Act constitutes an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice subject to certain enforcement and penalty provisions; and applying the Act prospectively.
Sponsored by: Sen. Cheryl Kagan
Hearing 2/06 At 1:00 P.m. on 01/22/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Civil Actions - Consumer Contracts - Limitations Periods [HB-431]
Establishing that any provision of a consumer contract that sets a shorter period of time to bring an action under or on the consumer contract than is required under the law of the State at the time the contract is issued or delivered is void as against public policy; providing that a violation of the Act is a violation of the Consumer Protection Act and subject to certain enforcement and penalty provisions; and applying the Act prospectively.
Sponsored by: Rep. Vaughn Stewart
Referred Finance on 03/07/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Automatic Tip Prompt Screen - Requirements [HB-385]
Requiring, beginning July 1, 2026, each business that uses a point-of-sale system that automatically prompts a customer to leave a tip to disclose that the tip is for employees and display a tip amount that is set at zero or a "no-tip" option, subject to certain conditions; requiring the Maryland Department of Labor and the Division of Consumer Protection in the Office of the Attorney General to make information about the requirements of the Act available on the agencies' public websites; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Robbyn Lewis
Hearing 3/19 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/13/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Retail Sales - Payment or Reimbursement of Shipping Costs [HB-194]
Establishing that a consumer may request a merchant pay or refund the full amount of shipping costs incurred to return an item that is damaged, faulty, or sent in error; requiring a merchant that received a payment or refund request to provide the consumer a prepaid shipping label after receiving the request or refund the full incurred shipping costs to the consumer within 30 days after receiving the item returned from the consumer; and making a violation of the Act an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice subject to civil penalties; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Frank Conaway
Hearing 3/19 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/13/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Automatic Renewals [HB-107]
Requiring a person who makes an automatic renewal offer to consumers to allow a consumer to cancel the automatic renewal in a certain manner; requiring automatic renewal offers to be displayed in a certain manner and contain certain information; establishing that compliance with certain regulations or a certain license shall be considered to be compliance with the Act; establishing that a violation of the Act is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Andrew Pruski
Referred Finance on 02/26/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Internet Gaming - Authorization and Implementation [HB-17]
Authorizing the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to issue certain licenses to certain qualified applicants to conduct or participate in certain Internet gaming operations in the State; requiring the Commission to regulate Internet gaming and the conduct of Internet gaming in the State; requiring an Internet gaming licensee to require individuals to provide proof of the registration in order to participate in Internet gaming; submitting the Act to a referendum; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Vanessa Atterbeary
Hearing 2/10 At 11:00 A.m. on 01/17/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Electronic Payment Transactions - Interchange Fees - Calculation and Use of Data [HB-29]
Requiring certain entities that process electronic payment transactions to exclude, under certain circumstances, the amount of tax and gratuity included in the electronic payment transaction from the amount on which an interchange fee is charged; requiring certain credit and debit card issuers to credit a merchant who provides certain documentation with the amount of the interchange fee charged on the amount of tax and gratuity included in an electronic payment transaction; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Brian Crosby
First Reading Economic Matters on 01/08/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Automatic Renewals [SB-49]
Requiring a person who makes an automatic renewal offer to consumers to allow a consumer to cancel the automatic renewal in a certain manner; requiring automatic renewal offers to be displayed in a certain manner and contain certain information; establishing that compliance with certain regulations shall be considered to be compliance with the Act; establishing that a violation of the Act is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Dawn Gile
Referred Economic Matters on 03/13/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Right to Repair - Powered Wheelchairs [HB-31]
Requiring, in order to make repairs to powered wheelchairs, that a certain manufacturer make available certain documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, and tools to a certain independent repair provider or owner of a powered wheelchair; providing that a violation of the Act constitutes an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice subject to certain enforcement and penalty provisions; and applying the prospectively.
Sponsored by: Rep. Kevin Hornberger
Third Reading Passed (121-17) on 03/17/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Veterans Benefits Matters - Claim Servicers - Prohibitions and Requirements [HB-267]
Establishing prohibitions and requirements regarding compensation for certain services related to veterans benefits matters; prohibiting a person that is not V.A. accredited from making certain guarantees; providing for the enforcement of the Act under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act; and repealing certain advertising and disclosure requirements for veterans benefits services and veterans benefits appeals services.
Sponsored by: Rep. Mike Rogers
Third Reading Passed (123-15) on 03/17/2025
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Maryland 2024 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Credit or Debit Card Surcharges - Limitation [HB-1481]
Prohibiting a retail business from charging a consumer a certain surcharge in excess of the amount required to reimburse the retail business for the cost of processing certain credit or debit transactions; and making a violation of this Act an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice that is subject to enforcement and penalties under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.
Sponsored by: Rep. Andre Johnson
First Reading House Rules And Executive Nominations on 02/15/2024
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Maryland 2024 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Maryland Consumer Protection Act - Trade or Commerce Violations [HB-1299]
Altering the applicability of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act to include certain unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices in trade or commerce, including any economic activity within the State that involves or relates to any commodity or service.
Sponsored by: Rep.
Unfavorable Report By Finance on 04/01/2024
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Maryland 2024 Regular Session
Real Property - Contracts of Sale - Title Report Requirement [HB-1196]
Requiring the seller of any real property to provide a title report to the buyer prior to closing; permitting a buyer to rescind a contract of sale for real property under certain circumstances; and providing that a violation of the Act is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice.
Sponsored by: Rep. Steven Arentz
Hearing 3/05 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/09/2024
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Maryland 2024 Regular Session
Health Care Facilities – Notice to Consumers – Out–of–Network Status (Health Care Provider Out–of–Network Information Act) [HB-1148]
Requiring out-of-network health care facilities to provide certain information to a consumer and obtain certain consent before providing a health care service; requiring that certain out-of-network status information be provided in a certain consent form; prohibiting an out-of-network health care facility from charging, billing, or attempting to collect an amount in excess of the consumer's in-network cost unless the consumer is provided certain notice and provided consent; and making a violation of the Act an unfair trade practice.
Sponsored by: No sponsors
Withdrawn By Sponsor on 03/11/2024
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Maryland 2024 Regular Session
State Board of Pharmacy - Prohibition on Discrimination Against 340B Drug Distribution [HB-1056]
Prohibiting a 340B manufacturer from taking certain direct or indirect actions to limit or restrict the acquisition or delivery of a 340B drug; making a violation of the Act an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice within the meaning of the Consumer Protection Act; and requiring the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board to conduct a study of the 340B Program and report its findings and recommendations to certain committees of the General Assembly by July 1, 2026.
Sponsored by: Rep. Anne Kaiser
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 962 on 05/16/2024