SB0528 • 2026

Consumer Protection - Video Streaming Services - Loudness of Commercial Advertisements

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Senator Harris
Last action: 2026-03-24
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.
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.

Consumer Protection - Video Streaming Services - Loudness of Commercial Advertisements

Prohibiting a certain video streaming service from transmitting to a consumer in the State the audio of a commercial advertisement in a manner that is louder than the audio of the accompanying video programming or video content of the video streaming service; providing that compliance with certain federal regulations shall be considered compliance with the Act; and establishing that a violation of the Act is subject to certain enforcement provisions under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting a certain video streaming service from transmitting to a consumer in the State the audio of a commercial advertisement in a manner that is louder than the audio of the accompanying video programming or video content of the video streaming service; providing that compliance with certain federal regulations shall be considered compliance with the Act; and establishing that a violation of the Act is subject to certain enforcement provisions under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.

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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

583820/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 583820/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 528 (First Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 22, strike “OR”; in line 23, strike “TELEVISION” and substitute “MULTICHANNEL VIDEO”; in line 24, after “DISTRIBUTOR” insert “; 4.

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 528 (First Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 22, strike “OR”; in line 23, strike “TELEVISION” and substitute “MULTICHANNEL VIDEO”; in line 24, after “DISTRIBUTOR” insert “; 4.
A SERVICE THAT MAKES A VAILABLE PROGRAMMING OR VIDEO CONTENT WITHOUT COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS; OR 5.
A WEBSITE OR APPLICATI ON THAT DOES NOT MAKE VIDEO PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE TO CONSUMERS AS ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE”.
On page 3, after line 16, insert: “(E) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO AUTH ORIZE A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION UNDER THIS SECTION OR ANY OTHER LAW.”.

Bill History

2026-03-24 House
Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-16 Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance
2026-03-07 House
Referred Economic Matters
2026-03-03 Senate
Third Reading Passed (45-0)
2026-03-01 Senate
Favorable with Amendments { 583820/1 Adopted
2026-03-01 Senate
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-02-04 Senate
First Reading Finance
2026-02-04 Senate
Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Consumer Protection - Video Streaming Services - Loudness of Commercial Advertisements
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Finance
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Consumer Protection - Video Streaming Services - Loudness of Commercial Advertisements

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting a certain video streaming service from transmitting to a consumer in the State the audio of a commercial advertisement in a manner that is louder than the audio of the accompanying video programming or video content of the video streaming service; providing that compliance with certain federal regulations shall be considered compliance with the Act; and establishing that a violation of the Act is subject to certain enforcement provisions under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.

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.
*sb0528*

SENATE BILL 528
I3 6lr2798
CF HB 985
By: Senator Harris
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 1, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Consumer Protection – Video Streaming Services – Loudness of Commercial 2
Advertisements 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a certain video streaming service from transmitting to a 4
consumer in the State the audio of a commercial advertisement in a manner that is 5
louder than the audio of the accompanying video programming or video content of 6
the video streaming service; and generally relating to the regulation of video 7
streaming services. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Commercial Law 10
Section 13–301(14)(xlvii) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2025 Replacement Volume) 13

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Commercial Law 15
Section 13–301(14)(xlviii) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2025 Replacement Volume) 18

BY adding to 19
Article – Commercial Law 20
Section 13–301(14)(xlix) and 14–1330 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
2 SENATE BILL 528

(2025 Replacement Volume) 1

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3

Article – Commercial Law 4

13–301. 5

Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices include any: 6

(14) Violation of a provision of: 7

(xlvii) Title 14, Subtitle 50 of this article; [or] 8

(xlviii) Section 13–411.1(c)(2) of the Transportation Article; or 9

(XLIX) SECTION 14–1330 OF THIS ARTICLE; OR 10

14–1330. 11

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 12
INDICATED. 13

(2) “CONSUMER” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 13–101 OF THIS 14
ARTICLE. 15

(3) “VIDEO PROGRAMMING” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN 47 U.S.C. 16
§ 613. 17

(4) (I) “VIDEO STREAMING SERVI CE” MEANS AN ENTITY THAT 18
TRANSMITS DIRECTLY T O A CONSUMER USING A N INTERNET PROTOCOL –BASED 19
SYSTEM: 20

1. VIDEO PROGRAMMING OR VIDEO CONTENT; AND 21

2. COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEM ENTS TRANSMITTED 22
ALONG WITH THE VIDEO PROGRAMMING OR THE VIDEO CONTENT. 23

(II) “VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE” DOES NOT INCLUDE: 24

1. A TELEVISION BROADCAST STATION; 25

2. A CABLE OPERATOR; OR 26

SENATE BILL 528 3

3. ANY OTHER TELEVISION MULTICHANNEL VIDEO 1
PROGRAMMING DISTRIBUTOR; 2

4. A SERVICE THAT MAKES A VAILABLE PROGRAMMING 3
OR VIDEO CONTENT WITHOUT COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS; OR 4

5. A WEBSITE OR APPLICATI ON THAT DOES NOT MAK E 5
VIDEO PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE TO CONSUMERS AS ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE. 6

(B) A VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE MAY NOT TRANSMIT TO A CONSUMER IN 7
THE STATE THE AUDIO OF A COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT IN A MANNER THA T IS 8
LOUDER THAN THE AUDIO OF THE ACCOMPANYING VIDEO PROGRAMMING OR VIDEO 9
CONTENT BEING TRANSMITTED BY THE VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE. 10

(C) A VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE SHALL BE CONSIDERED IN COMPLIANCE 11
WITH THIS SECTION IF THE VIDEO STREAMING SERVICE COMPLIES WIT H 12
REGULATIONS THAT ARE ADOPTED: 13

(1) BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION UNDER THE 14
FEDERAL COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT LOUDNESS MITIGATION ACT; AND 15

(2) FOR THE PURPOSE OF RE GULATING THE AUDIO L OUDNESS OF 16
COMMERCIAL ADVERTISE MENTS OF TELEVISION BROADCAST STATIONS , CABLE 17
OPERATORS, AND OTHER TELEVISION PROGRAMMING DISTRIBUTORS. 18

(D) A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION IS: 19

(1) AN UNFAIR , ABUSIVE, OR DECEPTIVE TRADE P RACTICE WITHIN 20
THE MEANING OF TITLE 13 OF THIS ARTICLE; AND 21

(2) SUBJECT TO THE ENFORC EMENT AND PENALTY PR OVISIONS 22
CONTAINED IN TITLE 13 OF THIS ARTICLE, EXCEPT §§ 13–407, 13–408, AND 13–411 23
OF THIS ARTICLE. 24

(E) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO AUTH ORIZE A PRIVATE 25
RIGHT OF ACTION UNDER THIS SECTION OR ANY OTHER LAW. 26

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
October 1, 2026. 28