Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB639 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0639
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 639
8	8	C2, F2 5lr2079
9	9
10	10	By: Delegates Ruth, Fair, Guyton, Harris, Lehman, and Terrasa
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Economic Matters
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Sports Venues – Reusable Beverage Containers – Use During Sporting Events 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of requiring the owner or operator of a sports venue and the governing 3
21	21	body of an institution of higher education that operates a sports venue to allow an 4
22	22	individual attending a sporting event at the sports venue to bring and use a reusable 5
23	23	beverage container during a sporting event; and generally relating to reusable 6
24	24	beverage containers and sports venues. 7
25	25
26	26	BY adding to 8
27	27	Article – Business Regulation 9
28	28	Section 19–1001 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 10. Sports Venues” 10
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
30	30	(2024 Replacement Volume) 12
31	31
32	32	BY adding to 13
33	33	Article – Education 14
34	34	Section 11–2001 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 20. Sports Venues” 15
35	35	Annotated Code of Maryland 16
36	36	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
37	37
38	38	Preamble 18
39	39
40	40	WHEREAS, It is the intent of the General Assembly to reduce plastic waste and 19
41	41	improve public health by ensuring the availability of choices for the consumption of water; 20
42	42	now, therefore, 21
43	43
44	44	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
45	45	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23
46	46
47	47	Article – Business Regulation 24
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 639
49	49
50	50
51	51	SUBTITLE 10. SPORTS VENUES. 1
52	52
53	53	19–1001. 2
54	54
55	55	(A) (1) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 3
56	56	INDICATED. 4
57	57
58	58	(2) “REUSABLE BEVERAGE CON TAINER” MEANS A DRINKING VES SEL 5
59	59	THAT: 6
60	60
61	61	(I) IS MADE PRIMARILY OF ALUMINU M OR STAINLESS STEEL ; 7
62	62
63	63	(II) CAN HOLD UP TO 24 OUNCES OF LIQUID ; AND 8
64	64
65	65	(III) IS DESIGNED TO BE USED MORE THAN ONCE . 9
66	66
67	67	(3) “SPORTS VENUE” MEANS A BUILDING , STRUCTURE, FACILITY, OR 10
68	68	OTHER PLACE WHERE PR OFESSIONAL OR COLLEG IATE SPORTING EVENTS ARE 11
69	69	HELD. 12
70	70
71	71	(B) (1) THE OWNER OR OPERATOR OF A SPORTS VENUE SHALL ALLOW AN 13
72	72	INDIVIDUAL ATTENDING A PROFESSIONAL OR CO LLEGIATE SPORTING EV ENT AT 14
73	73	THE SPORTS VENUE TO BRING AND USE A REUSABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER DURING 15
74	74	A SPORTING EVENT . 16
75	75
76	76	(2) THE OWNER OR OPERATOR OF A SPORTS VENUE MAY REQUIRE A 17
77	77	REUSABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER TO BE EMPT Y ON ENTERING THE SP ORTS VENUE. 18
78	78
79	79	Article – Education 19
80	80
81	81	SUBTITLE 20. SPORTS VENUES. 20
82	82
83	83	11–2001. 21
84	84
85	85	(A) (1) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 22
86	86	INDICATED. 23
87	87
88	88	(2) “REUSABLE BEVERAGE CON TAINER” MEANS A DRINKING VES SEL 24
89	89	THAT: 25
90	90
91	91	(I) IS MADE PRIMARILY OF ALUMINU M OR STAINLESS STEEL ; 26
92	92
93	93	(II) CAN HOLD UP TO 24 OUNCES OF LIQUID ; AND 27 HOUSE BILL 639 3
94	94
95	95
96	96
97	97	(III) IS DESIGNED TO BE USED MORE THAN ONCE . 1
98	98
99	99	(3) “SPORTS VENUE” MEANS ANY BUILDING , STRUCTURE, FACILITY, 2
100	100	OR PLACE OWNED OR OPERATED BY AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION WHERE 3
101	101	PROFESSIONAL OR COLL EGIATE SPORTING EVEN TS ARE HELD. 4
102	102
103	103	(B) (1) THE GOVERNING BODY OF AN INSTITUT ION OF HIGHER 5
104	104	EDUCATION THAT OPERATES A SPOR TS VENUE SHALL ALLOW ANY INDI VIDUAL 6
105	105	ATTENDING A PROFESSI ONAL OR COLLEGIATE S PORTING EVENT AT A SPORTS 7
106	106	VENUE TO BRING AND USE A REUSABLE BEVERAGE CONTAINER DURING A SPORTING 8
107	107	EVENT. 9
108	108
109	109	(2) THE GOVERNING BODY OF AN INSTITUTE OF HIGH ER EDUCATION 10
110	110	MAY ESTABLISH A RULE O R POLICY REQUIRING REUSABLE BEVERAGE CO NTAINERS 11
111	111	TO BE EMPTY ON ENTER ING THE SPORTS VENUE . 12
112	112
113	113	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
114	114	October 1, 2025. 14