HB 74 Maryland House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Legal Advertisement or Legal Notice - Publication in Newspaper or Newspaper in General Circulation - Digital Newspapers

HB 74 updates Maryland law to clarify which digital publications can legally publish court orders, property notices, and other official legal notices. The bill requires digital newspapers to maintain a public archive of all published legal notices and employ at least one staff member focused on local news. It defines "newspaper in general circulation" to include digital publications meeting specific criteria (e.g., regular local content, weekly publication, postal service eligibility), replacing older print-only standards. This affects counties and municipalities that mandate legal notices in publications, with special provisions for Prince George’s and Dorchester counties. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Sep 2024

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Sep 3, 2024 Last action Mar 19, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Legal Advertisement or Legal Notice - Publication in Newspaper or Newspaper in General Circulation - Digital Newspapers → Third - Legal Advertisement or Legal Notice - Publication in Newspaper or Newspaper in General Circulation - Digital Newspapers · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends the definition of 'newspaper' and 'newspaper in general circulation' to explicitly include digital publications. It adds requirements for digital publishers to maintain archives of legal notices and employ staff for local news, while also clarifying that digital formats count for publication time periods.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of what qualifies as a newspaper to include digital publications that meet specific criteria, making digital platforms eligible for legal advertisement requirements.

DEFINITION

Changed the definition of 'newspaper' to include digital publications that have at least four pages, contain news and editorial content, are published weekly for six months, have general circulation, and qualify for postal periodicals rates.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for digital publications publishing legal notices to maintain public archives of all published legal advertisements and notices.

Added requirement that digital publications must employ at least one employee whose duties include reporting, writing, or editing local news and information.

Modified publication time period requirements to count when advertisements appear in both print and digital formats.

ELIGIBILITY

Added eligibility criteria for Prince George's County newspapers to include those designated as newspapers of record or small businesses meeting specific qualifications.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Mar 4, 2025

How they voted

137–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 139

Mar 4, 2025

D Democratic100

99 Yea 1

99% Yea

R Republican39

38 Yea 1

97% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 17, 2025

Committee

Referred Judicial Proceedings

upper

Mar 14, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Mar 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary

lower

Mar 4, 2025

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (137-0-2)

house of delegates

Jan 8, 2025

Committee

First Reading Judiciary

lower

Sep 3, 2024

Introduced

Pre-filed

lower

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors