Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB8 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	hb0008
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 8
8	8	J1 5lr1215
9	9	(PRE–FILED)
10	10	By: Delegate Harrison
11	11	Requested: October 15, 2024
12	12	Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
14	14
15	15	A BILL ENTITLED
16	16
17	17	AN ACT concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Public Health – Food and Milk Product Labeling – Requirements 2
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning on a certain date, certain food manufacturers, 3
22	22	processors, and retailers to use certain terms regarding the quality or safety date on 4
23	23	labels of food items manufactured for human consumption; prohibiting, beginning on 5
24	24	a certain date, a person from selling, or offering for sale, food items manufactured 6
25	25	for human consumption that are labeled with a “sell by date” or that do not meet the 7
26	26	labeling requirements of certain provisions of this Act; requiring the Maryland 8
27	27	Department of Health to create a marketing program and educational materials for 9
28	28	food labels on or before a certain date and to post the information on the 10
29	29	Department’s website; requiring that certain milk products be labeled with a certain 11
30	30	quality assurance date; and generally relating to food and milk product labeling 12
31	31	requirements. 13
32	32
33	33	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
34	34	Article – Health – General 15
35	35	Section 21–101(a), (i), (k), (l), and (n) and 21–401(a), (j)(1), (k), (l)(2), (o), and (p) 16
36	36	Annotated Code of Maryland 17
37	37	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
38	38
39	39	BY adding to 19
40	40	Article – Health – General 20
41	41	Section 21–328.1 21
42	42	Annotated Code of Maryland 22
43	43	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 23
44	44
45	45	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 24
46	46	Article – Health – General 25
47	47	Section 21–424 26
48	48	Annotated Code of Maryland 27 2 HOUSE BILL 8
49	49
50	50
51	51	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 1
52	52
53	53	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
54	54	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
55	55
56	56	Article – Health – General 4
57	57
58	58	21–101. 5
59	59
60	60	(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 6
61	61
62	62	(i) “Food” means: 7
63	63
64	64	(1) Any substance that is used as food or drink for human beings or as a 8
65	65	component of food or drink for human beings; or 9
66	66
67	67	(2) Chewing gum or any substance that is used as a component of chewing 10
68	68	gum. 11
69	69
70	70	(k) “Label” means a display of written, printed, or graphic matter on the 12
71	71	container, other than the package liner, of a substance. 13
72	72
73	73	(l) “Labeling” means any label or other written or graphic material that: 14
74	74
75	75	(1) Is on a substance or its container or its wrapping; or 15
76	76
77	77	(2) Accompanies a substance. 16
78	78
79	79	(n) (1) “Package” means any container or wrapping of a consumer commodity 17
80	80	that is used for delivery or display to retail consumers. 18
81	81
82	82	(2) “Package” does not include any container or wrapping that is used only 19
83	83	for: 20
84	84
85	85	(i) Transportation of a consumer commodity in bulk or quantity to 21
86	86	a manufacturer, packer, processor, or wholesale or retail distributor; or 22
87	87
88	88	(ii) Shipment or delivery of a consumer commodity to a retail 23
89	89	customer, if the container or wrapping bears no printed material that relates to a particular 24
90	90	consumer commodity. 25
91	91
92	92	21–328.1. 26
93	93
94	94	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 27
95	95	INDICATED. 28
96	96	HOUSE BILL 8 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	(2) “QUALITY DATE” MEANS THE DATE ON A LABEL AFFIXED TO THE 1
100	100	PACKAGING OR CONTAIN ER OF FOOD AFTER WHI CH FOOD QUALITY MAY BEGIN TO 2
101	101	DETERIORATE BUT THE FOOD MAY STILL BE AC CEPTABLE FOR HUMAN 3
102	102	CONSUMPTION . 4
103	103
104	104	(3) “SAFETY DATE” MEANS A DATE ON A LA BEL AFFIXED TO THE 5
105	105	PACKAGING OR CONTAIN ER OF PERISHABLE FOO D THAT COMMUNICATES THAT THE 6
106	106	FOOD SHOULD BE CONSU MED OR FROZEN BY THE DATE LISTED. 7
107	107
108	108	(4) “SELL BY DATE” MEANS A DATE ON A LA BEL AFFIXED TO THE 8
109	109	PACKAGING OR CONTA INER OF FOOD THAT IS NOT A QUALITY DAT E OR A SAFETY 9
110	110	DATE AND INDICATES S TOCK ROTATION PRIMAR ILY TO A DISTRIBUTOR OR 10
111	111	RETAILER. 11
112	112
113	113	(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO: 12
114	114
115	115	(1) INFANT FORMULA ; 13
116	116
117	117	(2) EGGS OR PASTEURIZED I N–SHELL EGGS; OR 14
118	118
119	119	(3) BEER AND OTHER MA LT BEVERAGES . 15
120	120
121	121	(C) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, A FOOD MANUFACTURER , PROCESSOR, OR 16
122	122	RETAILER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LABELING OF FOOD ITE MS FOR HUMAN 17
123	123	CONSUMPTION THAT OPTS OR IS REQU IRED BY LAW TO INCLU DE A DATE LABEL TO 18
124	124	COMMUNICATE A QUALIT Y OR SAFETY DATE ON A FOOD ITEM MANUFACTURED ON 19
125	125	OR AFTER JULY 1, 2026, SHALL USE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TER MS, AS 20
126	126	APPROPRIATE : 21
127	127
128	128	(1) (I) “BEST IF USED BY” OR “BEST IF USED OR FROZEN BY” TO 22
129	129	INDICATE THE QUALITY DATE OF THE FOOD ITE M; OR 23
130	130
131	131	(II) IF THE FOOD ITEM IS TOO SMALL TO INCLUDE THE LABEL 24
132	132	REQUIRED UNDER ITEM (I) OF THIS ITEM, “BB”; OR 25
133	133
134	134	(2) (I) “USE BY” OR “USE BY OR FREEZE BY” TO INDICATE THE 26
135	135	SAFETY DATE OF THE FOOD ITEM; OR 27
136	136
137	137	(II) IF THE FOOD ITEM IS TOO SMALL TO INCLUDE THE LABEL 28
138	138	REQUIRED UNDER ITEM (I) OF THIS ITEM, “UB”. 29
139	139
140	140	(D) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, A PERSON MAY NOT : 30
141	141	4 HOUSE BILL 8
142	142
143	143
144	144	(1) SELL, OR OFFER FOR SALE , A FOOD ITEM MANUFACTURED FOR 1
145	145	HUMAN CONSUMPTION ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2026, THAT IS LABELED WITH THE 2
146	146	PHRASE “SELL BY”; OR 3
147	147
148	148	(2) SELL, OR OFFER FOR SALE , A FOOD ITEM MANUFACTURED FOR 4
149	149	HUMAN CONSUMPTION ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2026, THAT IS NOT LABELED IN 5
150	150	ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 6
151	151
152	152	(E) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, A FOOD RETAILER MAY : 7
153	153
154	154	(1) DONATE A FOOD ITEM MANUFACTURED FOR HUM AN 8
155	155	CONSUMPTION THAT IS NOT LABELED IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HIS SECTION; AND 9
156	156
157	157	(2) SELL, OR OFFER FOR SALE , A FOOD ITEM MANUFACTURED FOR 10
158	158	HUMAN CONSUMPTION LABELED WITH THE PHRASE “PACKED ON” IF THE FOOD 11
159	159	ITEM ALSO DISPLAYS A QUAL ITY OR SAFETY DATE I N ACCORDANCE WITH 12
160	160	SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 13
161	161
162	162	(F) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT : 14
163	163
164	164	(1) THE SALE, DONATION, OR USE OF A FOOD ITEM MANUFACTURED 15
165	165	FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTIO N AFTER THE QUALITY DA TE; 16
166	166
167	167	(2) THE USE OF A LABEL THAT COMMUNI CATES THE DATE WINE, A 17
168	168	DISTILLED SPIRIT , OR WINE– OR DISTILLED SPIRIT –BASED PRODUCT WAS 18
169	169	PRODUCED, MANUFACTURED , BOTTLED, OR PACKAGED; 19
170	170
171	171	(3) THE USE OF SELL BY DATES THAT A RE PRESENTED IN A CO DED 20
172	172	FORMAT THAT ARE NOT EASILY READABLE BY C ONSUMERS AND DO NOT USE THE 21
173	173	PHRASE “SELL BY”; OR 22
174	174
175	175	(4) THE USE OR DISPLAY OF A L ABEL THAT ALLOWS A C ONSUMER TO 23
176	176	VIEW ONLINE INFORMAT ION ABOUT A FOOD ITEM MANUFACTURED FOR HUM AN 24
177	177	CONSUMPTION . 25
178	178
179	179	(G) THIS SECTION DOES NOT REQUIRE THE USE OR D ISPLAY OF A DATE 26
180	180	LABEL ON A FOOD ITEM UNLESS THE PREPARED FOOD ITEM DISPLAYS A DATE 27
181	181	LABEL. 28
182	182
183	183	(H) (1) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CREATE 29
184	184	AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND EDUCATIONAL MATE RIALS TO INFORM 30
185	185	CONSUMERS ABOUT THE MEANING OF QUALITY D ATES AND SPECIFIED D ATES. 31
186	186	HOUSE BILL 8 5
187	187
188	188
189	189	(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL POST ON THE DEPARTMENT ’S WEBSITE 1
190	190	THE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL S CREATED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 2
191	191	SUBSECTION. 3
192	192
193	193	(I) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THIS 4
194	194	SECTION. 5
195	195
196	196	21–401. 6
197	197
198	198	(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 7
199	199
200	200	(j) (1) “Grade A milk product” means: 8
201	201
202	202	(i) Grade A milk; 9
203	203
204	204	(ii) Grade A cream; or 10
205	205
206	206	(iii) Any other Grade A milk product that the Secretary designates. 11
207	207
208	208	(k) “Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance” means the recommended Grade “A” 12
209	209	Pasteurized Milk Ordinance published by the federal government. 13
210	210
211	211	(l) (2) “Grade A milk” means the milk of a cow, goat, or other hooved mammal 14
212	212	produced, processed, pasteurized, bottled, packaged, or prepared in accordance with the 15
213	213	Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. 16
214	214
215	215	(o) (1) “Milk plant” means any place where, for distribution, milk products are: 17
216	216
217	217	(i) Processed; 18
218	218
219	219	(ii) Pasteurized; 19
220	220
221	221	(iii) Bottled or packaged; or 20
222	222
223	223	(iv) Prepared. 21
224	224
225	225	(2) “Milk plant” does not include a place where milk products are sold at 22
226	226	retail only. 23
227	227
228	228	(p) “Milk processor” means a person who owns, operates, or controls a milk plant. 24
229	229
230	230	21–424. 25
231	231
232	232	(A) After the milk product has been processed, each milk product shall be labeled 26
233	233	with: 27
234	234	6 HOUSE BILL 8
235	235
236	236
237	237	(1) The description of that milk product under this subtitle or the rules and 1
238	238	regulations adopted under this subtitle; and 2
239	239
240	240	(2) Any other information that the Secretary requires by rule or regulation. 3
241	241
242	242	(B) (1) THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO: 4
243	243
244	244	(I) A MILK PRODUCT PROCESS ED, PACKAGED, AND SOLD BY 5
245	245	DISTRIBUTORS DIRECTL Y TO CONSUMERS ; OR 6
246	246
247	247	(II) A BULK SHIP MENT OF A MILK PRODUCT BE TWEEN 7
248	248	DISTRIBUTORS . 8
249	249
250	250	(2) BEFORE A GRADE A MILK PRODUCT IS SOLD TO A CONSUMER AT 9
251	251	RETAIL, THE GRADE A MILK PRODUCT MUST BE LABELED WITH THE DAT E 10
252	252	ESTABLISHED BY THE M ILK PROCESSOR AS THE DATE BY WHICH THE PR ODUCT 11
253	253	SHOULD NORMALLY BE U SED TO ENSURE CONSUM ER QUALITY. 12
254	254
255	255	(3) THE SECRETARY SHALL ADOPT REGULA TIONS TO CARRY OUT 13
256	256	THIS SUBSECTION, INCLUDING REGULATION S RELATED TO: 14
257	257
258	258	(I) THE RESPONSIBILITY FO R AFFIXING TO PACKAG ES OR 15
259	259	OTHER CONTAINERS THE QUALITY ASSURANCE DA TE REQUIRED UNDER 16
260	260	PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION; 17
261	261
262	262	(II) THE MANNER, STYLE, FORM, AND PLACE OF AFFIXAT ION OF 18
263	263	THE QUALITY ASSURANC E DATE REQUIRED UNDE R PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 19
264	264	SUBSECTION IN A CONSPICUOUS PLA CE IN A FORM THAT IS READILY SEEN AND 20
265	265	EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY CONSUMERS ; AND 21
266	266
267	267	(III) ADMINISTRATION AND EN FORCEMENT OF THIS 22
268	268	SUBSECTION. 23
269	269
270	270	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
271	271	October 1, 2025. 25