Unfair Trade Practices
Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Residential Leases - Use of Algorithmic Device by Landlord to Determine Rent - Prohibition [SB-609]
[Housing ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Technology and Innovation ]
[Data Privacy ]
[Real Estate ]
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]
[Housing ]
[Crime ]
[Real Estate ]
[Criminal Justice ]
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]
[Crime ]
[Senior Citizens ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Criminal Justice ]
[Public Safety ]
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
Third Reading Passed (45-0) on 04/03/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Criminal Law - Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable and Senior Adults [SB-466]
[Crime ]
[Senior Citizens ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Criminal Justice ]
[Public Safety ]
[Human Services ]
Prohibiting a person who is a caregiver to or a family member or household member of an individual from knowingly and willfully exerting unauthorized control over and obtaining the property of the individual with intent to deprive the individual of the individual's property under certain circumstances; providing penalties for a violation of the Act; etc.
Sponsored by: Sen. Charles Muse
Hearing 3/25 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/19/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Vehicle Laws - Obscured, Modified, or Blocked Registration Plates and Registration Plate Covers [HB-470]
[Transportation and Motor Vehicles ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Law Enforcement ]
[Public Safety ]
[Crime ]
Prohibiting a person from obscuring or modifying any vehicle registration plate in a manner that may prevent identification and enforcing the prohibition as a secondary offense; prohibiting a person from advertising for or promoting the sale of an unlawful registration plate cover by falsely claiming that the registration plate cover is lawful in the State; and establishing that a violation of the Act is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice subject to certain enforcement and penalties.
Sponsored by: Rep. Dana Stein
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 566 on 05/13/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Right to Repair - Powered Wheelchairs [SB-382]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Disabilities ]
[Healthcare ]
[Technology and Innovation ]
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
Referred Rules And Executive Nominations on 04/01/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Consumer Contracts - Limitation Periods [HB-431]
[Consumer Protection ]
Prohibiting a consumer contract from setting a shorter time to bring an action under or on the consumer contract than required by the law of the State; excluding certain entities from the application of this Act; and applying the Act prospectively.
Sponsored by: Rep. Vaughn Stewart
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 194 on 04/22/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Automatic Tip Prompt Screen - Requirements [HB-385]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Labor, Jobs, Employment ]
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
Vehicle Laws - Obscured, Modified, or Blocked Registration Plates and Registration Plate Covers [SB-322]
[Transportation and Motor Vehicles ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Law Enforcement ]
[Public Safety ]
[Crime ]
Prohibiting a person from obscuring or modifying any vehicle registration plate in a manner that may prevent identification and enforcing the prohibition as a secondary offense; prohibiting a person from advertising for or promoting the sale of certain registration plate covers by falsely claiming that the registration plate cover is lawful in the State; and establishing that a violation of the Act is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice subject to certain enforcement and penalties.
Sponsored by: Sen. Cheryl Kagan
Referred Rules And Executive Nominations on 04/05/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Retail Sales - Payment or Reimbursement of Shipping Costs [HB-194]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Trade ]
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]
[Consumer Protection ]
Requiring a person who makes an automatic renewal offer to consumers to allow a consumer to cancel the automatic renewal in a cost-effective, timely, and easy-to-use 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
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 205 on 04/22/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Internet Gaming - Authorization and Implementation [HB-17]
[Gaming ]
[Technology and Innovation ]
[Consumer Protection ]
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]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Finance ]
[Taxes ]
[Small Business ]
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]
[Consumer Protection ]
Requiring a person who makes an automatic renewal offer to consumers to allow a consumer to cancel the automatic renewal in a cost-effective, timely, and easy-to-use 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: Sen. Dawn Gile
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 204 on 04/22/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Right to Repair - Powered Wheelchairs [HB-31]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Disabilities ]
[Healthcare ]
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: Rep. Kevin Hornberger
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 546 on 05/13/2025
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Maryland 2025 Regular Session
Veterans Benefits Matters - Claim Servicers - Prohibitions and Requirements [HB-267]
[Veterans ]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Public Safety ]
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 2025 Regular Session
Consumer Protection – False Advertising – Digital Goods [HB-208]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Technology and Innovation ]
[Media and Advertising ]
Prohibiting a person that is a seller from advertising or offering for sale a digital good using certain terminology unless, before executing the sale, a certain affirmative acknowledgment is received from the purchaser or a certain clear and conspicuous statement is provided by the seller; and establishing that a violation of the Act is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice subject to certain enforcement and penalty provisions.
Sponsored by: Rep. Andrew Pruski
Approved By The Governor - Chapter 206 on 04/22/2025
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Maryland 2024 Regular Session
Consumer Protection - Credit or Debit Card Surcharges - Limitation [HB-1481]
[Consumer Protection ]
[Finance ]
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]
[Consumer Protection ]
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]
[Real Estate ]
[Consumer Protection ]
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