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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0064*
SENATE BILL 64
L6 6lr1253
HB 74/25 – JUD (PRE–FILED) CF HB 10
By: Senator West
Requested: October 20, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
A BILL ENTITLED
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
“newspaper” or “newspaper in general circulation” mean a PRINT OR DIGITAL publication 20
that: 21
(1) [has at least four pages; 22
2 SENATE BILL 64
(2)] habitually contains news items, reports of current events, editorial 1
comments, advertising matter, and other miscellaneous information that is of public 2
interest and is found generally in an ordinary newspaper; 3
[(3)] (2) has been published and distributed, by sale, from an established 4
place of b usiness at least once a week for 6 months or more before publication of the 5
advertisement or notice; 6
[(4)] (3) has general circulation throughout the community where the 7
publication is published; [and 8
(5)] (4) FOR A PRINT PUBLICATION: 9
(I) qualifies for Periodicals rates for mailing through the United 10
States Postal Service; AND 11
(II) HAS AT LEAST FOUR PAGES; AND 12
(5) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTIO N (D) OF THIS SECTION , FOR A DIGITAL 13
PUBLICATION: 14
(I) EMPLOYS OR RETAINS ONE OR MORE PERSONS TO CREATE, 15
EDIT, PRODUCE, AND DISTRIBUTE ORIGI NAL CONTENT CONCERNI NG MATTERS OF 16
PUBLIC INTEREST THRO UGH REPORTING ACTIVI TIES, INCLUDING CONDUCTING 17
INTERVIEWS, OBSERVING CURRENT EV ENTS, AND REVIEWING DOCUME NTS OR 18
OTHER INFORMATION; 19
(II) EMPLOYS AT LEAST ONE INDIVIDUAL FULL TIME, WORKING 20
AT LEAST 30 HOURS PER WEEK, WHO: 21
1. RESIDES WITHIN 50 MILES OF THE COUNTY OR 22
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION WHERE THE LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE 23
IS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED; AND 24
2. GATHERS, PREPARES, COLLECTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, 25
WRITES, EDITS, REPORTS, OR PUBLISHES ORIGINA L LOCAL OR STATE NEWS FOR 26
DISTRIBUTION IN THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION; 27
(III) PUBLISHES AT LEAST ONE ARTICLE PER WEEK CONCERNING 28
MATTERS OF PUBLIC IN TEREST FOR THE COUNT Y OR MUNICIPAL CORPO RATION 29
DURING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 12 MONTHS; AND 30
(IV) IF DESIGNATED AS A TAX–EXEMPT ORGANIZATION UNDER § 31
501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE: 32
SENATE BILL 64 3
1. DECLARES IN ITS INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE 1
FILINGS THAT ITS MIS SION INCLUDES THE CO VERAGE OF LOCAL OR STATE NEWS; 2
AND 3
2. HAS NOT RECEIVED MOR E THAN 50% OF ITS GROSS 4
RECEIPTS DURING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING YEAR FROM: 5
A. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES OR OTHER ENTITIES 6
DESCRIBED IN § 527 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE; OR 7
B. ORGANIZATIONS THAT A RE DESIGNATED AS 8
TAX–EXEMPT UNDER § 501(C)(4), (5), OR (6) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. 9
(B) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION , A DIGITAL 10
PUBLICATION THAT PUB LISHES A LEGAL ADVER TISEMENT OR LEGAL NO TICE 11
SHALL: 12
(1) MAINTAIN AN ARCHIVE OF ALL PUBLISHED LEGAL 13
ADVERTISEMENTS AND LEGAL NOTICES THAT SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC; 14
AND 15
(2) BE ACCESSIBLE IN THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION 16
THAT IS REQUIRED TO PUBLISH THE LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE. 17
(C) FOR PURPOSES OF THE P UBLIC GE NERAL LAWS OF THE STATE, IF A 18
LAW, RESOLUTION, COURT ORDER, JUDGMENT, OR DECREE REQUIRES A COUNTY OR 19
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIO N TO PUBLISH A LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT OR LEG AL 20
NOTICE IN A PRINT OR DIGITAL NEWSPAPER IN GENERAL CIRCULATION, THE TIME 21
PERIOD REQUIRED FOR PUBLICATION BEGINS O N THE DATE THE FIRST 22
ADVERTISEMENT OR NOTICE APPEARS IN PRINT OR DIGITAL FORMAT. 23
[(b)] (D) Subject to subsection (a) of this section and for purposes of the public 24
general laws of the State, in Prince George’s County, “newspaper in g eneral circulation” 25
includes a newspaper that: 26
(1) is designated by the County Council as a newspaper of record; or 27
(2) (i) qualifies under subsection (a) of this section with respect to 28
Prince George’s County; and 29
(ii) is published by a small bu siness as defined in § 14 –201 of the 30
State Finance and Procurement Article. 31
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[(c) Subject to subsection (a) of this section and for purposes of the public general 1
laws of the State, in Dorchester County, if a law, resolution, or court order, judgment, or 2
decree requires the county to publish a legal advertisement or legal notice: 3
(1) any required advertisement or notice shall be published and distributed 4
through print and digital format; 5
(2) the time period required for publication starts once the fi rst 6
advertisement or notice appears in print or digital format; and 7
(3) if there is no print and digital publication that meets all of the 8
qualifications under subsection (a) of this section, the advertisement or notice may be 9
placed in any digital publ ication that can be accessed in Dorchester County and that 10
regularly contains local news and information for Dorchester County.] 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 12
October 1, 2026. 13