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*hb0010*
HOUSE BILL 10
L6 6lr0648
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 64
By: Delegate Foley
Requested: July 23, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 27, 2026
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 meet certain qualifications before publishing a certain 6
legal advertisement or legal notice; 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 2025 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
(a) Unless otherwise provided, in a law, resolution, or court order, judgment, or 18
decree that refers to publishing a legal advertisement or legal notice, words such as 19
2 HOUSE BILL 10
“newspaper” or “newspaper in general circulation” mean a PRINT OR AND DIGITAL 1
publication OR DIGITAL–ONLY PUBLICATION THA T COVERS LOCAL NEWS OR 2
INFORMATION IN MORE THAN THREE COUNTIES IN THE STATE that: 3
(1) [has at least four pages; 4
(2)] habitually contains news items, reports of current events, editorial 5
comments, advertising matter, and o ther miscellaneous information that is of public 6
interest and is found generally in an ordinary newspaper; 7
[(3)] (2) 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 publ ication of the 9
advertisement or notice; 10
[(4)] (3) has general circulation throughout the community where the 11
publication is published; [and 12
(5)] (4) FOR A PRINT PUBLICATION: 13
(I) qualifies for Periodicals rates for mailing through the United 14
States Postal Service; AND 15
(II) HAS AT LEAST FOUR PAGES; AND 16
(5) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTIO N (D) OF THIS SECTION , FOR A DIGITAL 17
PUBLICATION: 18
(I) EMPLOYS OR RETAINS ONE OR MORE PERSONS TO CREATE, 19
EDIT, PRODUCE, AND DISTRIBUTE ORIGI NAL CONTENT CONCERNI NG MATTERS OF 20
PUBLIC INTEREST THRO UGH REPORTING ACTIVI TIES, INCLUDING CONDUCTING 21
INTERVIEWS, OBSERVING CURRENT EV ENTS, AND REVIEWING DOCUME NTS OR 22
OTHER INFORMATION; 23
(II) EMPLOYS AT LEAST ONE INDIVIDUAL FULL TIME, WORKING 24
AT LEAST 30 HOURS PER WEEK, WHO: 25
1. RESIDES WITHIN 50 MILES OF THE COUNTY OR 26
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION WHERE THE LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE 27
IS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED; AND 28
2. GATHERS, PREPARES, COLLECTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, 29
WRITES, EDITS, REPORTS, OR PUBLISHES ORIGINA L LOCAL OR STATE NEWS FOR 30
DISTRIBUTION IN THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION; 31
HOUSE BILL 10 3
(III) PUBLISHES AT LEAST ONE ARTICLE PER WEEK CONCERNING 1
MATTERS OF PUBLIC IN TEREST FOR THE COUNT Y OR MUNICIPAL CORPO RATION 2
DURING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 12 MONTHS; AND 3
(IV) IF DESIGNATED AS A TAX–EXEMPT ORGANIZATION UNDER § 4
501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE: 5
1. DECLARES IN ITS INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE 6
FILINGS THAT ITS MIS SION INCLUDES THE CO VERAGE OF LOCAL OR STATE NEWS; 7
AND 8
2. HAS NOT RECEIVED MOR E THAN 50% OF IT S GROSS 9
RECEIPTS DURING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING YEAR FROM: 10
A. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES OR OTHER ENTITIES 11
DESCRIBED IN § 527 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE; OR 12
B. ORGANIZATIONS THAT A RE DESIGNATED AS 13
TAX–EXEMPT UNDER § 501(C)(4), (5), OR (6) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. 14
(B) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION , A DIGITAL 15
PUBLICATION THAT PUB LISHES A LEGAL ADVER TISEMENT OR LEGAL NO TICE 16
SHALL: 17
(1) MAINTAIN AN ARCHIVE OF ALL PUBLISHED LEG AL 18
ADVERTISEMENTS AND LEGAL NOTICES THAT SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC; 19
AND 20
(2) BE ACCESSIBLE IN THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION 21
THAT IS REQUIRED TO PUBLISH THE LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE. 22
(C) FOR PURPOSES OF THE P UBLIC GENERAL LAWS O F THE STATE, IF A 23
LAW, RESOLUTION, COURT ORDER, JUDGMENT, OR DECREE REQUIRES A COUNTY OR 24
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIO N TO PUBLISH A LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT OR LEG AL 25
NOTICE IN A PRINT OR DIGITAL NEWSPAPER IN GENERAL CIRCULATION, THE TIME 26
PERIOD REQUIRED FOR PUBLICATION BEGINS O N THE DATE THE FIRST 27
ADVERTISEMENT OR NOTICE APPEARS IN PRINT OR DIGITAL FORMAT. 28
[(b)] (D) Subject to subsection (a) of this section and for purposes of the public 29
general laws of the State, in Prince George’s County, “newspaper in general circulation” 30
includes a newspaper that: 31
(1) is designated by the County Council as a newspaper of record; or 32
4 HOUSE BILL 10
(2) (i) qualifies under subsection (a) of this section with respect to 1
Prince George’s County; and 2
(ii) is published by a small business as defined in § 14 –201 of the 3
State Finance and Procurement Article. 4
[(c) Subject to subsection (a) of this section and for purposes of the public general 5
laws of the State, in Dorchester County, if a law, resolution, or court order, judgment, or 6
decree requires the county to publish a legal advertisement or legal notice: 7
(1) any required advertisement or notice shall be published and distributed 8
through print and digital format; 9
(2) the time period required for publication starts once the first 10
advertisement or notice appears in print or digital format; and 11
(3) if there is no print and digital publication that meets all of the 12
qualifications under subsection (a) of this section, the advertisement or notice may be 13
placed in any digital publication that can be accessed in Dorchester County and t hat 14
regularly contains local news and information for Dorchester County.] 15
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 16
October 1, 2026. 17
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.