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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0043*
HOUSE BILL 43
P2 6lr0643
HB 1119/25 – HGO (PRE–FILED) CF 6lr1389
By: Delegate Foley
Requested: July 23, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Procurement – Advertising – Local News Organizations 2
(Local Newspapers for Maryland Communities Act of 2026) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring a unit of State government to ensure that at least a certain 4
amount of the unit’s total dollar value of procurement contracts for print and digital 5
advertising is being made directly to local news organizations; and generally relating 6
to procurement contracts made to local news organizations. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – State Finance and Procurement 9
Section 14–419 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – State Finance and Procurement 15
14–419. 16
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZAT ION” MEANS AN 17
ENTITY THAT: 18
(I) ENGAGES PROFESSIONAL S TO CREATE , EDIT, PRODUCE, 19
AND DISTRIBUTE ORIGINAL CONTENT CONCERNING MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST 20
THROUGH REPORTING, CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS, OBSERVING CURRENT EVENTS, 21
OR ANALYZING INFORMATION; 22
2 HOUSE BILL 43
(II) HAS AT LEAST ONE EMPLOYEE WHO: 1
1. IS EMPLOYED FULL TIME; 2
2. IS DEDICATED TO PROV IDING COVERAGE OF EV ENTS 3
IN MARYLAND; AND 4
3. RESIDES IN MARYLAND OR WITHIN 50 MILES OF 5
MARYLAND; 6
(III) IN THE CASE OF A PRINT PUBLICATION, HAS PUBLISHED AT 7
LEAST ONE PRINT PUBLICATION PER MONTH OVER THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS AND: 8
1. HOLDS A VALID U.S. POSTAL SERVICE PERIODICAL 9
PERMIT; OR 10
2. HAS AT LEAST 25% OF ITS CONTENT DEDIC ATED TO 11
LOCAL NEWS; 12
(IV) IN THE CASE OF AN EN TITY THAT PUBLISHES CONTENT 13
ONLY IN DIGITAL FORM: 14
1. HAS PUBLISHED AT LEAST ONE PIECE ABOUT EVENTS 15
IN MARYLAND PER WEEK OVER THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS; AND 16
2. FOR WHICH AT LEAST 33% OF ITS AUDIENCE , 17
AVERAGED OVER A 12–MONTH PERIOD, IS LOCATED IN MARYLAND; 18
(V) HAS DISCLOSED , IN ITS PRINT PUBLICA TION OR ON ITS 19
WEBSITE: 20
1. ITS BENEFICIAL OWNERS; OR 21
2. IN THE CASE OF A NONPROFIT ENTITY, ITS BOARD OF 22
DIRECTORS; AND 23
(VI) IN THE CASE OF AN EN TITY THAT MAINTAINS TAX STATUS 24
UNDER § 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, HAS DECLARED COVERAGE 25
OF LOCAL OR STATE NEWS AS ITS STATED MISSION IN A FILING WITH THE INTERNAL 26
REVENUE SERVICE. 27
(2) “LOCAL NEWS ORGANI ZATION” DOES NOT INCLUDE AN ENTITY 28
THAT RECEIVES MORE THAN 50% OF ITS GROSS RECEIPTS FROM: 29
HOUSE BILL 43 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 PROCUREMENT CONTRACT FOR 5
PRINT OR DIGITAL ADV ERTISING TO BE PUBLI SHED OR BROADCAST OU TSIDE 6
MARYLAND FOR THE PURPOSES OF: 7
(1) PROMOTING TOURISM TO THE STATE; OR 8
(2) EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT. 9
(C) A UNIT SHALL STRUCTURE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES TO ACHIEVE 10
AN OVERALL GOAL OF 50% OF THE UNIT’S TOTAL DOLLAR VALUE OF PROCUREMENT 11
CONTRACTS FOR PRINT OR DIGITAL ADVERTISING BEING MADE DIRECTLY TO LOCAL 12
NEWS ORGANIZATIONS. 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 14
October 1, 2026. 15