Back to Maryland

SB0297 • 2026

Vehicle Laws - Manufacturers and Dealers - Prices Listed on Dealer Websites (Jack Fitzgerald Price Transparency Act)

Vehicle Laws - Manufacturers and Dealers - Prices Listed on Dealer Websites (Jack Fitzgerald Price Transparency Act)

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Senator Waldstreicher
Last action
2026-03-21
Official status
In the House - Second Reading Passed
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Vehicle Laws - Manufacturers and Dealers - Prices Listed on Dealer Websites (Jack Fitzgerald Price Transparency Act)

Providing that a manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch may not take an adverse action against a dealer for disclosing on its website that the advertised price of a vehicle is the manufacturer's minimum allowable advertised price and that the dealer may offer a lower price for the vehicle.

What This Bill Does

  • Providing that a manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch may not take an adverse action against a dealer for disclosing on its website that the advertised price of a vehicle is the manufacturer's minimum allowable advertised price and that the dealer may offer a lower price for the vehicle.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 House

    Favorable Report by Economic Matters

  2. 2026-03-21 House

    Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed

  3. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings

  4. 2026-02-25 House

    Referred Economic Matters

  5. 2026-02-22 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (42-1)

  6. 2026-02-20 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  7. 2026-02-20 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  8. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Hearing 2/12 at 1:00 p.m.

  9. 2026-01-23 Senate

    Hearing canceled

  10. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Hearing 2/04 at 11:00 a.m.

  11. 2026-01-21 Senate

    First Reading Judicial Proceedings

  12. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Vehicle Laws - Manufacturers and Dealers - Prices Listed on Dealer Websites (Jack Fitzgerald Price Transparency Act)

  13. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings

  14. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Vehicle Laws - Manufacturers and Dealers - Prices Listed on Dealer Websites (Jack Fitzgerald Price Transparency Act)

  15. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Economic Matters

Official Summary Text

Providing that a manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch may not take an adverse action against a dealer for disclosing on its website that the advertised price of a vehicle is the manufacturer's minimum allowable advertised price and that the dealer may offer a lower price for the vehicle.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING 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.
*sb0297*

SENATE BILL 297
R4 6lr2695
CF HB 306
By: Senator Waldstreicher
Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 20, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Vehicle Laws – Manufacturers and Dealers – Prices Listed on Dealer Websites 2
(Jack Fitzgerald Price Transparency Act) 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch from taking 4
an adverse action against a dealer for disclosing certain information on prices listed 5
on its website; and generally relating to prices listed on dealer websites. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Transportation 8
Section 15–207(h) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Transportation 13
Section 15–313(a) and (b) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18

Article – Transportation 19

15–207. 20
2 SENATE BILL 297

(h) (1) (i) Any consumer rebates, dealer incentives, price or interest rate 1
reductions, or finance terms that a manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch offers or 2
advertises, or allows its dealers to offer or advertise, shall be offered to all dealers of the 3
same line make. 4

(ii) Any manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch that denies the 5
benefit of any consumer rebates, dealer incentives, price or interest rate reductions, or 6
finance terms to a dealer on the basis that the dealer failed to comply with performance 7
standards has the burden of proving that the performance standards comply with the 8
provisions of this section. 9

(2) Unless a dealer violates a State or local law intended to protect the 10
public, a manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch may not: 11

(i) Require a dealer to alter or replace an existing dealership 12
facility; or 13

(ii) Deny, or threaten to deny, any benefit generally available to all 14
dealers for a dealer’s failure to alter or replace an existing dealership facility. 15

(3) UNLESS A DEALER VIOLA TES § 15–313(A) OR (B) OF THIS TITLE 16
OR A STATE OR LOCAL LAW INTENDED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC, A MANUFACTURER, 17
DISTRIBUTOR, OR FACTORY BRANCH MAY NOT TAKE AN ADVERSE ACTION AGAINST 18
A DEALER FOR DISCLOS ING ON ITS WEBSITE T HAT THE ADVERTISED P RICE OF A 19
VEHICLE IS THE MANUFACTURER’S MINIMUM ALLOWABLE ADVERTISED PRICE AND 20
THAT THE DEALER MAY OFFER A LOWER PRICE FOR THE VEHICLE. 21

[(3)] (4) A manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch may not reduce 22
the price of a motor vehicle charged to a dealer or provide different financing terms to a 23
dealer in exchange for the dealer’s agreement to: 24

(i) Maintain an exclusive sales or service facility; 25

(ii) Build or alter a sales or service facility; or 26

(iii) Participate in a floor plan or other financing arrangement. 27

15–313. 28

(a) A dealer or an agent or employee of a dealer may not use any advertisement 29
that is in any way false, deceptive, or misleading. 30

(b) A dealer or an agent or employee of a dealer may not by any means advertise 31
or offer to the public any vehicle without intent to sell it as advertised or offered. 32

SENATE BILL 297 3

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2026. 2

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.