EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0651*
SENATE BILL 651
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By: Senator Kagan
Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2024
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Business Regulation – Sale of Motor Fuel – Pricing Signage 2
(Gas Price Gouging Act) 3
FOR the purpose of altering a signage requirement for retail service stations relating to the 4
price of regular gasoline; altering a signage authorization for retail service stations 5
relating to the price of diesel and other motor fuel products; repealing an exemption 6
from a certain signage requirement for retail service station dealers with not more 7
than a certain number of dispensing units and nozzles; and generally relating to 8
pricing signs at retail service stations. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Business Regulation 11
Section 10–315 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2015 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Business Regulation 17
10–315. 18
(a) A person who sells motor fuel at retail shall display signs in accordance with 19
this section. 20
(b) (1) All dispensing equipment for motor fuel shall be marked conspicuously 21
to show in numerals of equal size the price, including taxes, of a gallon of the motor fuel 22
offered for sale. 23
(2) If numerals that show a fractional cent are used, the combined height 24 2 SENATE BILL 651
and width of the numerator and denominator shall equal the height and width of the other 1
numerals used. 2
(c) (1) A sign or other means on the premises and approaches to a retail outlet 3
that advertises the retail price of motor fuel: 4
(i) may list the price and each tax separately if the listing of the 5
total of the price and all taxes is the same size as the separate listing of the price; but 6
(ii) shall list the total of the price and all taxes by numerals of 7
uniform size. 8
(2) In the listing of the total of the price and all taxes, a denominator need 9
not be used to indicate a fraction, but: 10
(i) if a denominator is used, the numerator and denominator 11
combined shall be the same size as the numeral that indicates the whole number; or 12
(ii) if a denominator is not used, the numerator shall be the same 13
size as the numeral that indicates the whole number. 14
(d) If the retail price of motor fuel is advertised on a sign or by other means on 15
the premises of and approaches to the retail outlet, the grade designation displayed for any 16
motor fuel in the advertisement shall be the same as the grade designation that is required 17
to be displayed for that motor fuel on the retail dispensing pump as specified by the 18
Comptroller. 19
(e) (1) [This subsection does not apply to a retail service station dealer who 20
operates with not more than 3 dispensing units that combined have not more than 6 21
nozzles. 22
(2)] (i) Each retail service station dealer shall keep a sign on the 23
premises that: 24
1. [states the lowest price] PROMINENTL Y DISPLAYS 25
CLEARLY AND VISIBLY , for a whole measurement unit of regular gasoline sold on the 26
premises: 27
A. THE CREDIT AND DEBIT PRICE, IF HIGHER THAN THE 28
CASH PRICE; OR 29
B. THE CREDIT AND DEBIT PRICE AND THE CASH PRICE ; 30
2. states the unit of measurement used; and 31
3. is readable by passing motorists. 32 SENATE BILL 651 3
(ii) The sign required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph also 1
may [state the lowest price] PROMINENTLY DISPLAY CLEARLY AND VISIBLY, for a whole 2
measurement unit of diesel and other motor fuel products sold on the premises: 3
1. THE CREDIT AND DEBIT PRICE, IF HIGHER THAN THE 4
CASH PRICE; OR 5
2. THE CREDIT AND DEBIT PRICE AND THE CASH PRICE . 6
[(3)] (2) All numerals on the sign shall: 7
(i) be uniform; 8
(ii) be at least 8 inches high and 3.5 inches wide; and 9
(iii) have a brush stroke of at least 1 inch. 10
[(4)] (3) A numeral in a fraction or a letter shall be at least one–third the 11
height of a numeral that indicates a whole number. 12
[(5)] (4) If a new or additional sign is required to comply with this 13
subsection, the supplier of the gasoline shall provide the sign and numerals without cost to 14
the retail service station dealer. 15
(f) A sign required at a service station by this section or any other State or federal 16
law is exempt from the provisions of a local law, ordinance, or regulation for the purpose of 17
determining: 18
(1) the total number of signs permitted; and 19
(2) the area of signs permitted. 20
(g) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, signs regulated by this 21
section or other State law or by federal law may be regulated by the local zoning authority 22
and shall be consistent with the local law, ordinance, or regulation governing signs. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall t ake effect 24
October 1, 2024. 25