EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0651*
SENATE BILL 651
C2 4lr3250
CF HB 882
By: Senator Kagan
Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2024
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Business Regulation – Sale of Motor Fuel – Pricing Signage 2
(Gas Price Gouging Clarity Act) 3
FOR the purpose of establishing that certain provisions governing signage at retail service 4
stations supersede inconsistent local law; altering a signage requirement for retail 5
service stations relating to the price of regular gasoline; altering a signage 6
authorization for retail service stations relating to the price of diesel and other motor 7
fuel products; repealing an exemption from a certain signage requirement for retail 8
service station dealers with not more than a certain number of dispensing units and 9
nozzles; and generally relating to pricing signs at retail service stations. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Business Regulation 12
Section 10–315 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2015 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL AS SEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Business Regulation 18
10–315. 19
2 SENATE BILL 651
(A) THIS SECTION SUPERSED ES ANY INCONSISTENT PROVISION OF LOCAL 1
LAW. 2
(a) (B) A person who sells motor fuel at retail shall display signs in accordance 3
with this section. 4
(b) (C) (1) All dispensing equipment for motor fuel shall be marked 5
conspicuously to show in numerals of equal size the price, including taxes, of a gallon of the 6
motor fuel offered for sale. 7
(2) If numerals that show a fractional cent are used, the combined height 8
and width of the numerator and denominator shall equal the height and width of the other 9
numerals used. 10
(c) (D) (1) A sign or other means on the premises and approaches to a retail 11
outlet that advertises the retail price of motor fuel: 12
(i) may list the price and each tax separately if the listing of the 13
total of the price and all taxes is the same size as the separate listing of the price; but 14
(ii) shall list the total of the price and all taxes by numerals of 15
uniform size. 16
(2) In the listing of the total of the price and all taxes, a denominator need 17
not be used to indicate a fraction, but: 18
(i) if a denominator is used, the numerator and denominator 19
combined shall be the same size as the numeral that indicates the whole number; or 20
(ii) if a denominator is not used, the numerator shall be the same 21
size as the numeral that indicates the whole number. 22
(d) (E) If the retail price of motor fuel is advertised on a sign or by other means 23
on the premises of and approaches to the retail outlet, the grade designation displayed for 24
any motor fuel in the advertisement shall be the same as the grade designation that is 25
required to be displayed for that motor fuel on the retail dispensing pump as specified by 26
the Comptroller. 27
(e) (F) (1) [This subsection does not apply to a retail service station dealer 28
who operates with not more than 3 dispensing units that combined have not more than 6 29
nozzles. 30
(2)] (i) Each retail service station dealer shall keep a sign on the 31
premises that: 32
SENATE BILL 651 3
1. [states the lowest price] PROMINENTLY DISPLAYS 1
CLEARLY AND VISIBLY , for a whole measurement unit of regular gasoline sold on the 2
premises: 3
A. THE CREDIT AND DEBIT PRICE, IF HIGHER THAN THE 4
CASH PRICE; OR 5
B. THE CREDIT AND DEBIT PRICE AND THE CASH P RICE; 6
2. states the unit of measurement used; and 7
3. is readable by passing motorists. 8
(ii) The sign required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph also 9
may [state the lowest price] PROMINENTLY DISP LAY CLEARLY AND VISI BLY, for a whole 10
measurement unit of diesel and other motor fuel products sold on the premises: 11
1. THE CREDIT AND DEBIT PRICE, IF HIGHER THAN THE 12
CASH PRICE; OR 13
2. THE CREDIT AND DEBIT PRICE AND THE CASH P RICE. 14
[(3)] (2) All numerals on the sign shall: 15
(i) be uniform; 16
(ii) BE THE SAME SIZE; 17
(III) be at least 8 inches high and 3.5 inches wide; and 18
(iii) (IV) have a brush stroke of at least 1 inch. 19
[(4)] (3) A numeral in a fraction or a letter shall be at least one–third the 20
height of a numeral that indicates a whole number. 21
[(5)] (4) If a new or additional sign is required to comply with this 22
subsection, the supplier of the gasoline shall provide the sign and numerals without cost to 23
the retail service station dealer. 24
(f) (G) A sign required at a service station by this section or any other State or 25
federal law is exempt from the provisions of a local law, ordinance, or regulation for the 26
purpose of determining: 27
(1) the total number of signs permitted; and 28
4 SENATE BILL 651
(2) the area of signs permitted. 1
(g) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, signs regulated by this 2
section or other State law or by federal law may be regulated by the local zoning authority 3
and shall be consistent with the local law, ordinance, or regulation governing signs. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
October 1, 2024. 6
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.