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.
*hb0074*
HOUSE BILL 74
L6 5lr0731
(PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Foley Delegates Foley, Conaway, Phillips, and Stinnett
Requested: September 3, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Legal Advertisement or Legal Notice – Publication in Newspaper or Newspaper 2
in General Circulation – Digital Newspapers 3
FOR the purpose of establishing certain requirements for the publication of certain 4
advertisements and notices in counties and municipalities in the State; requiring 5
certain digital publications to maintain a certain archive in a certain manner and 6
employ a certain employee; and generally relating to the publication of legal 7
advertisements and legal notices in counties and municipalities in the State. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – General Provisions 10
Section 1–113 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – General Provisions 16
1–113. 17
2 HOUSE BILL 74
(a) (1) Unless otherwise provided, in a law, resolution, or court order, 1
judgment, or decree that refers to publishing a legal advertisement or legal notice, words 2
such as “newspaper” or “newspaper in general circulation” mean a publication that: 3
[(1)] (I) has at least four pages; 4
[(2)] (II) habitually contains news items, reports of current events, 5
editorial comments, advertising matter, and other miscellaneous information that is of 6
public interest and is found generally in an ordinary newspaper; 7
[(3)] (III) has been published and distributed, by sale, from an established 8
place of business at least once a week for 6 months or more before publication of the 9
advertisement or notice; 10
[(4)] (IV) has general circulation throughout the community where the 11
publication is published; and 12
[(5)] (V) qualifies for Periodicals rates for mailing through the United 13
States Postal Service. 14
(2) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION A ND FOR 15
PURPOSES OF THE PUBL IC GENERAL LAWS OF T HE STATE, IF A LAW, RESOLUTION, 16
OR COURT ORDER , JUDGMENT, OR DECREE REQUIRES A COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL 17
CORPORATION TO PUBLI SH A LEGAL ADVERTISE MENT OR LEGAL NOTICE : 18
(I) ANY REQUIRED ADVERTI SEMENT OR NOTICE SHA LL BE 19
PUBLISHED AND DISTRI BUTED THROUGH PRINT OR AND DIGITAL FORMAT ; 20
(II) THE TIME PERIOD REQU IRED FOR PUBLICATION STARTS 21
ONCE THE FIRST ADVER TISEMENT OR NOTICE A PPEARS IN PRINT OR AND DIGITAL 22
FORMAT; AND 23
(III) IF THERE ARE NO PRIN T AND DIGITAL PUBLIC ATIONS THAT 24
MEET ALL OF THE QUAL IFICATIONS UNDER P ARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 25
THE ADVERTISEMENT OR NOTICE MAY BE PLACED IN ANY DIGITAL PUBLI CATION 26
THAT CAN BE ACCESSED IN THE COUNTY OR MUN ICIPAL CORPORATION A ND THAT 27
REGULARLY CONTAINS L OCAL NEWS AND INFORM ATION FOR THE COUNTY OR 28
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIO N. 29
(3) ANY DIGITAL PUBLICATI ON THAT PUBLISHES A LEGAL 30
ADVERTISEMENT OR LEG AL NOTICE UNDER PARA GRAPH (2)(III) OF THIS 31
SUBSECTION SHALL : 32
HOUSE BILL 74 3
(I) MAINTAIN AN ARCHIVE OF ALL PUBLISHED LEG AL 1
ADVERTISEMENTS AND L EGAL NOTICES THAT SH ALL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC; 2
AND 3
(II) EMPLOY AT LEAST ONE EMPLOYEE WHOSE DUTIE S INCLUDE 4
REPORTING, WRITING, OR EDITING LOCAL NEW S AND INFORMATION . 5
(b) Subject to subsection [(a)] (A)(1) of this section and for purposes of the public 6
general laws of the State, in Prince George’s County, “newspaper in general circulation” 7
includes a newspaper that: 8
(1) is designated by the County Council as a newspaper of record; or 9
(2) (i) qualifies under subsection [(a)] (A)(1) of this section with respect 10
to Prince George’s County; and 11
(ii) is published by a small business as defined in § 14–201 of the 12
State Finance and Procurement Article. 13
[(c) Subject to subsection (a) of this section and for purposes of the public general 14
laws of the State, in Dorchester County, if a law, resolution, or court order, judgment, or 15
decree requires the county to publish a legal advertisement or legal notice: 16
(1) any required advertisement or notice shall be published and distributed 17
through print and digital format; 18
(2) the time period required for publication starts once the first 19
advertisement or notice appears in print or digital format; and 20
(3) if there is no print and digital publication that meets all of the 21
qualifications under subsection (a) of this section, the advertisement or notice may be 22
placed in any digital publication that can be accessed in Dorchester County and that 23
regularly contains local news and information for Dorchester County.] 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2025. 26