Consumer Protection
Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Task Force to Study Tax Sales in Maryland [SB-823]
Establishing the Task Force to Study Tax Sales in Maryland to examine the tax sale system to maximize resources, facilitate properties getting to productive use, and protect residents; requiring the Task Force to evaluate the impact of tax sales, how tax sales are conducted in each county, and tax sales to collect delinquent water charges and alternative methods of collecting delinquent water charges; requiring the Task Force to report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2017; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. William Ferguson
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 616 on 05/25/2017
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Gettr Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Health Insurance - Prescription Drugs - Formulary Changes [SB-768]
Prohibiting insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations from making specified formulary changes during the plan year and the open enrollment period that precedes the plan year; and applying the Act to all policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or after October 1, 2017.
Sponsored by: Sen. Joanne Benson
Unfavorable Report By Finance; Withdrawn on 03/13/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Act [HB-909]
Establishing the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission to monitor and assess the impact of potential and actual federal changes to specified health care programs and to provide recommendations for State and local action to protect the access of residents of the State to affordable health coverage; providing for the composition, cochairs, and staffing of the Commission; requiring the Commission to annually report its findings to the Governor and General Assembly on or before December 31; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Nathaniel Oaks
Rereferred To Finance on 03/29/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Property and Casualty Insurance - Travel Insurance - Regulation [SB-702]
Specifying that a specified insurer that offers or sells a travel insurance policy is required to pay a premium tax on specified premiums paid by specified persons; requiring travel insurance to be classified and filed as inland marine insurance; providing that eligibility and underwriting standards for travel insurance may be developed and provided based on specified travel protection plans; providing that travel insurance included as part of a travel protection plan may be offered in a specified manner; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Hearing 2/28 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/28/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Disclosure of Social Security Number - Prohibition [SB-647]
Prohibiting a person from requiring a consumer to disclose the consumer's Social Security number to the person as a condition for the purchase or lease of consumer goods or the purchase of consumer services; prohibiting a person from including a specified field or text box for a Social Security number on a specified contract or form; providing that the Act does not prohibit a person from requesting or requiring a consumer to disclose the consumer's Social Security number to apply for or obtain an extension of consumer credit; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Cheryl Kagan
Hearing 3/15 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/15/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Termination of Electric or Gas Service - Prohibition [SB-658]
Prohibiting a public service company from terminating, under specified circumstances, electric or gas service to a residential customer during a severe weather period for a severe weather event and on specified days; prohibiting a public service company, on receipt of a specified request or subsequent request, from terminating, under specified circumstances, electric or gas service to a residential customer for 30 days beyond a scheduled termination of service date under specified circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. James Rosapepe
Unfavorable Report By Finance; Withdrawn on 03/09/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Insurance - Short-Term Medical Insurance - Study [HB-774]
Requiring the Maryland Insurance Administration to conduct a study to assess the need in the State for short-term medical insurance offered by nonadmitted insurers; establishing specified requirements for the study; requiring the Administration to solicit input from specified persons in conducting the study; requiring the Administration to submit a specified report to the Governor and specified committees of the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2017; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Eric Bromwell
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 223 on 04/18/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Recovering of Bedding - Limitation [SB-681]
Prohibiting a person from recovering specified bedding that is intended to be sold or offered for sale to a consumer in the State unless the person clearly marks the bedding as used; establishing that a violation of the Act is a misdemeanor and on conviction a person is subject to a maximum fine of $500.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 86 on 04/11/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Hospitals - Patient's Bill of Rights [HB-808]
Providing it is the intent of the General Assembly to promote the health, safety, and well-being of patients and to foster communication between patients and health care providers; requiring each administrator of a hospital to provide patients with a specified patient's bill of rights; requiring each administrator of a hospital to provide translators or an interpreter for specified patients; requiring each administrator of a hospital to conspicuously post copies of the patient's bill of rights in specified areas; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Frank Turner
Unfavorable Report By Health And Government Operations; Withdrawn on 03/24/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Public Utilities - Telephone Lifeline Service - Revisions [SB-649]
Providing that a specified local telephone company provide "lifeline" to qualifying low-income consumers under specified circumstances; repealing a requirement that a telephone company charge an eligible subscriber a percentage of a specified tariff under specified circumstances; requiring the Department of Human Resources to provide specified information to local telephone companies to the extent allowed by State law in addition to federal law and until specified eligibility is determined; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 533 on 05/04/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Hospitals - Patient's Bill of Rights [SB-660]
Providing it is the intent of the General Assembly to promote the health, safety, and well-being of patients and to foster communication between patients and health care providers; requiring each administrator of a hospital to provide patients with a specified patient's bill of rights; requiring each administrator of a hospital to provide translators or an interpreter for specified patients; requiring each administrator of a hospital to conspicuously post copies of the patient's bill of rights in specified areas; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Susan Lee
Unfavorable Report By Finance; Withdrawn on 03/27/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Act [SB-571]
Establishing the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission to monitor and assess the impact of potential and actual federal changes to specified health care programs and to provide recommendations for State and local action to protect the access of residents of the State to affordable health coverage; providing for the composition of the Commission; authorizing the Commission to convene specified workgroups; requiring the Commission to report annually to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Delores Kelley
Enacted Under Article Ii, Section 17(b) Of The Maryland Constitution - Chapter 17 on 04/06/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits Program - Prescription Drugs and Devices - Copayment or Coinsurance Requirements [SB-568]
Requiring the Secretary of Budget and Management to ensure that the State Employee and Retiree Health and Welfare Benefits Program complies with a provision of the Insurance Article that prohibits a copayment or coinsurance requirement for a covered prescription drug or device that exceeds the retail price of the prescription drug or device.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Unfavorable Report By Finance; Withdrawn on 03/02/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Education - Identity Protection and Credit Monitoring Services (Student Identity Protection Act) [HB-704]
Requiring the State Board of Education to provide identity protection and credit monitoring services for at least 5 years for current and former students whose personal information has been compromised by a breach of a public school's or a local school system's computer network in violation of a specified provision of law; etc.
Sponsored by: Rep. Eric Bromwell
Referred To Interim Study By Ways And Means on 03/18/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Public Health - Expensive Drugs - Manufacturer Reporting and Drug Price Transparency Advisory Committee [HB-666]
Requiring, on or before March 31 each year, the manufacturer of an expensive drug sold or offered for sale in the State to file with the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene a specified annual report; establishing the Drug Price Transparency Advisory Committee; requiring a manufacturer of an expensive drug to file a notice with the Secretary before increasing a specified price or a specified cost by more than a specified percentage or amount during specified periods of time; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Nathaniel Oaks
Hearing 2/23 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/23/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Maryland Personal Information Protection Act - Security Breach Notification Requirements - Modifications [SB-552]
Altering the applicability of specified security breach investigation and notification requirements to specified businesses; authorizing a specified business to elect to provide a specified notification; prohibiting a specified business from requiring or compelling a specified business to make a specified election; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Stephen Hershey
Hearing 2/23 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/23/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Maryland Personal Information Protection Act - Revisions [SB-525]
Requiring a specified business, when destroying an employee's or a former employee's records containing specified personal information of the employee or former employee, to take specified steps to protect against unauthorized access to or use of the information; altering the circumstances under which a business that owns, licenses, or maintains computerized data that includes specified personal information must conduct a specified investigation; authorizing a specified business to provide a required notice in a specified manner; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Delores Kelley
First Reading House Rules And Executive Nominations on 04/08/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Task Force to Study Tax Sales in Maryland [HB-659]
Establishing the Task Force to Study Tax Sales in Maryland to examine the tax sale system to maximize resources, facilitate properties getting to productive use, and protect residents; requiring the Task Force to evaluate the impact of tax sales, how tax sales are conducted in each county, and tax sales to collect delinquent water charges and alternative methods of collecting delinquent water charges; requiring the Task Force to report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2017; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Nathaniel Oaks
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 615 on 05/25/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Credit Regulation - Unsecured Open End Credit Plans - Fees and Charges [SB-527]
Providing that specified fees and charges permitted to be imposed on a consumer borrower under an unsecured open end credit plan, when combined with any interest charged under the plan, may not exceed an effective rate of 33% per annum simple interest; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Thomas Middleton
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 723 on 05/25/2017
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Maryland 2017 Regular Session
Public Health - Essential Off-Patent or Generic Drugs - Price Gouging - Prohibition [HB-631]
Prohibiting a manufacturer or wholesale distributor from engaging in price gouging in the sale of an essential off-patent or generic drug; establishing that it is not a violation of a specified provision of the Act for a wholesale distributor to increase a price of an essential off-patent or generic drug under specified circumstances; authorizing the Maryland Medical Assistance Program to notify the Attorney General of an increase in the price of an essential off-patent or generic drug under specified circumstances; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Nathaniel Oaks
Enacted Under Article Ii, Section 17(c) Of The Maryland Constitution - Chapter 818 on 05/27/2017