EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1119*
HOUSE BILL 1119
P2 5lr2471
By: Delegate Foley
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Procurement – Advertising – Local News Organizations 2
FOR the purpose of requiring a unit of State government to ensure that at least a certain 3
amount of the unit’s total dollar value of procurement contracts for print and digital 4
advertising is being made directly to local news organizations; and generally relating 5
to procurement contracts made to local news organizations. 6
BY adding to 7
Article – State Finance and Procurement 8
Section 14–419 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – State Finance and Procurement 14
14–419. 15
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZAT ION” MEANS AN 16
ENTITY THAT: 17
(I) ENGAGES PROFESSIONAL S TO CREATE , EDIT, PRODUCE, 18
AND DISTRIBUTE ORIGI NAL CONTENT CONCERNI NG MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST 19
THROUGH REPORTING, CONDUCTING INTERVIEW S, OBSERVING CURRENT EV ENTS, 20
OR ANALYZING INFORMA TION; 21
(II) HAS AT LEAST ONE EMP LOYEE WHO: 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1119
1. IS EMPLOYED FULL TIME; 1
2. IS DEDICATED TO PROV IDING COVERAGE OF EV ENTS 2
IN MARYLAND; AND 3
3. RESIDES IN MARYLAND OR WITHIN 50 MILES OF 4
MARYLAND; 5
(III) IN THE CASE OF A PRI NT PUBLICATION , HAS PUBLISHED AT 6
LEAST ONE PRINT PUBL ICATION PER MONTH OV ER THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS AND : 7
1. HOLDS A VALID U.S. POSTAL SERVICE PERIODICAL 8
PERMIT; OR 9
2. HAS AT LEAST 25% OF ITS CONTENT DEDIC ATED TO 10
LOCAL NEWS; 11
(IV) IN THE CASE OF AN EN TITY THAT PUBLISHES CONTE NT 12
ONLY IN DIGITAL FORM : 13
1. HAS PUBLISHED AT LEA ST ONE PIECE ABOUT E VENTS 14
IN MARYLAND PER WEEK OVE R THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS; AND 15
2. FOR WHICH AT LEAST 33% OF ITS AUDIENCE , 16
AVERAGED OVER A 12–MONTH PERIOD , IS LOCATED IN MARYLAND; 17
(V) HAS DISCLOSE D, IN ITS PRINT PUBLICA TION OR ON ITS 18
WEBSITE: 19
1. ITS BENEFICIAL OWNER S; OR 20
2. IN THE CASE OF A NO NPROFIT ENTITY, ITS BOARD OF 21
DIRECTORS; AND 22
(VI) IN THE CASE OF AN EN TITY THAT MAINTAINS TAX STATUS 23
UNDER § 501(C)(3) OF THE FEDERAL INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, HAS DECLARED 24
COVERAGE OF LOCAL OR STATE NEWS AS ITS STATED MISSIO N IN A FILING WITH THE 25
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. 26
(2) “LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZATI ON” DOES NOT INCLUDE AN ENTITY 27
THAT RECEIVES MORE T HAN 50% OF ITS GROSS RECEIPT S FROM: 28
HOUSE BILL 1119 3
(I) A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED IN 26 U.S.C. § 527; 1
OR 2
(II) ANY ORGANIZATION THA T MAINTAINS STATUS U NDER 26 3
U.S.C. § 501(C)(4), (5), OR (6). 4
(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY PROCURE MENT CONTRACT FOR 5
PRINT OR DIGITAL ADV ERTISING TO BE PUBLI SHED OR BROADCAST OUTSIDE 6
MARYLAND FOR THE PURP OSES OF: 7
(1) PROMOTING TOURISM TO THE STATE; OR 8
(2) EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT . 9
(C) A UNIT SHALL STRUCTURE PROCUREMEN T PROCEDURES TO ACHI EVE 10
AN OVERALL GOAL OF 50% OF THE UNIT’S TOTAL DOLLAR VALUE OF PROCUREMENT 11
CONTRACTS FOR PRINT OR DIGITAL ADVERTISI NG BEING MADE DIRECTLY TO LOC AL 12
NEWS ORGANIZATIONS . 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 14
October 1, 2025. 15