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*sb0459*
SENATE BILL 459
P2 (6lr1389)
ENROLLED BILL
— Budget and Taxation/Government, Labor, and Elections —
Introduced by Senator Rosapepe Senators Rosapepe, Augustine, Guzzone,
Hettleman, King, Lewis Young, McCray, and Zucker
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and prese nted to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Procurement – Advertising – Local Maryland News Organizations 2
(Local Newspapers News 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 Maryland news organizations; authorizing 6
a unit of State government to consult with a certain organization under certain 7
circumstances; and generally relating to procurement contracts made to local 8
Maryland news organizations. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – State Finance and Procurement 11
Section 14–419 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
2 SENATE BILL 459
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
Article – State Finance and Procurement 4
14–419. 5
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “LOCAL MARYLAND NEWS ORGANIZATION ” 6
MEANS AN ENTITY THAT: 7
(I) ENGAGES PROFESSIONAL S TO CREATE , EDIT, PRODUCE, 8
AND DISTRIBUTE ORIGINAL CONTENT CONCERNING MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST 9
THROUGH REPORTING, CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS, OBSERVING CURRENT EVENTS, 10
OR ANALYZING INFORMATION; 11
(II) HAS AT LEAST ONE FULL–TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEE 12
WHO: 13
1. IS EMPLOYED FULL TIME; 14
2. IS DEDICATED TO PROV IDING COVERAGE OF EV ENTS 15
IN MARYLAND; AND 16
3. 2. RESIDES IN MARYLAND OR WITHIN 50 MILES OF 17
MARYLAND; 18
(III) IN THE CASE OF A PRINT PUBLICATION, HAS PUBLISHED AT 19
LEAST ONE PRINT PUBLICATION PER MONTH OVER THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS AND: 20
1. HOLDS A VALID U.S. POSTAL SERVICE PERIODICAL 21
PERMIT; OR 22
2. HAS AT LEAST 25% OF ITS CONTENT DEDIC ATED TO 23
LOCAL MARYLAND NEWS; 24
(IV) IN THE CASE OF AN EN TITY THAT PUBLISHES CONTENT 25
ONLY IN DIGITAL FORM: 26
1. HAS PUBLISHED AT LEAST ONE PIECE ABOUT EVENTS 27
IN MARYLAND PER WEEK OVER THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS; AND 28
SENATE BILL 459 3
2. FOR WHICH AT LEAST 33% OF ITS AUDIENCE , 1
AVERAGED OVER A 12–MONTH PERIOD, IS LOCATED IN MARYLAND; 2
(V) HAS DISCLOSED , IN ITS PRINT PUBLICA TION OR ON ITS 3
WEBSITE: 4
1. ITS BENEFICIAL OWNERS; OR 5
2. IN THE CASE OF A NONPROFIT ENTITY, ITS BOARD OF 6
DIRECTORS; AND 7
(VI) IN THE CASE OF AN ENTITY THAT MAINTAIN S TAX STATUS 8
UNDER § 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, AND IS NOT AN ENTITY 9
DESCRIBED IN ITEM (III) OR (IV) OF THIS PARAGRAPH: 10
1. HAS DECLARED COVERAG E OF LOCAL OR STATE 11
MARYLAND NEWS AS ITS STATED M ISSION IN A FILING W ITH TH E INTERNAL 12
REVENUE SERVICE; OR 13
2. HAS RECEIVED A COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANT FROM 14
THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING PRIOR TO 2026; AND 15
(VII) AN ENTITY THAT: 16
1. IS A BROADCAST STATI ON AS DEFINED UNDER 17
SECTION 3 OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934; AND 18
2. HAS A COMMUNITY LICENSE IN MARYLAND ASSIGNED 19
BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION. 20
(2) “LOCAL MARYLAND NEWS ORGANIZATION” DOES NOT INCLUDE 21
AN ENTITY THAT RECEIVES MORE THAN 50% OF ITS GROSS RECEIPTS FROM: 22
(I) A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION DESCRIBED IN 26 U.S.C. § 527; 23
OR 24
(II) ANY ORGANIZATION THA T MAINTAINS STATUS U NDER 26 25
U.S.C. § 501(C)(4), (5), OR (6). 26
(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO ANY PROCUREMENT CONTRACT FOR 27
PRINT OR DIGITAL ADVERTISING TO BE PUBLISHED OR B ROADCAST WITH THE 28
PRIMARY AUDIENCE FOCUS OUTSIDE OF MARYLAND FOR THE PURPOSES OF: 29
4 SENATE BILL 459
(1) PROMOTING TOURISM TO THE STATE; OR 1
(2) EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT; OR 2
(3) ECONOMIC INVESTMENT. 3
(C) (1) A UNIT SHALL STRUCTURE PROCUREMENT PROCEDUR ES TO 4
ACHIEVE AN OVERALL G OAL OF 50% OF THE UNIT ’S TOTAL DOLLAR VALUE OF 5
PROCUREMENT CONTRACT S FOR PRINT OR DIGITAL ADVERTISING BEING MA DE 6
DIRECTLY TO LOCAL MARYLAND NEWS ORGANIZATIONS. 7
(2) A UNIT SHALL PRIORITIZE THE USE O F MARYLAND NEWS 8
ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A PRIMARY MISSION OF REPORTING ON AN D SERVING 9
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN MARYLAND. 10
(D) A UNIT MAY CONSULT WITH A THIRD–PARTY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION 11
TO PREPARE AND MAINT AIN A LIST OF ELIGIB LE LO CAL NEWS ORGANIZATIO NS 12
UNDER THIS SECTION. 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 14
October 1, 2026. 15
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.