WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 1232

An Act amending the act of March 23, 1972 (P.L.136, No.52), known as the Professional Psychologists Practice Act, further providing for State Board of Psychology.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Heather Boyd and 12 co-sponsors

Requires local bag-fee laws to provide itemized receipts showing fee and number of bags used, with tiered civil penalties for noncompliance.

Referred to State Government
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1232

Summary — HB 1232: Local Government — Fees, Receipts, and Penalties for Plastic and Paper Carryout Bags

Status: Introduced November 12, 2024; effective date in bill — October 1, 2025. (Bill as introduced by Delegate Conaway; applies to counties/municipalities that enact local bag-fee laws.)

Purpose

To standardize consumer disclosure and establish civil‑penalty enforcement at the local level when local law authorizes or requires retailers to charge a fee for providing plastic or paper carryout bags. The bill does not itself impose a statewide bag fee or ban; rather it sets requirements that local governments must adopt if they allow retail bag fees.

Key provisions

  • Applicability: Applies to any county or municipality that enacts a local law authorizing or requiring retailers to charge a fee at point of sale for plastic or paper carryout bags.
  • Retailer receipt requirement: A retailer that charges such a bag fee must provide a receipt to the customer that clearly identifies:
    • the fee amount charged, and
    • the number of plastic or paper carryout bags issued to the customer.
    • “Retailer” is defined as a person engaged in the retail sale of goods.
  • Enforcement & penalties: Localities must provide enforcement through civil penalties applied to retailers for violations:
    • First offense: up to $250
    • Second offense: up to $500
    • Third or subsequent offense: up to $1,000

Who is affected

  • Retailers in counties/municipalities that adopt bag‑fee ordinances — they must provide clearer receipts and face tiered civil penalties for noncompliance.
  • Local governments — required to include the receipt requirement and penalty scheme in their implementing ordinances and to enforce violations.
  • Consumers — will receive itemized receipts showing bag fees and counts where local ordinances adopt such a fee.

Fiscal and administrative impact

  • State: no material fiscal or operational impact.
  • Local governments: potential modest increase in local revenues to the extent civil penalties are levied; local expenditures are not expected to be materially affected per the fiscal note.
  • Small businesses: minimal fiscal impact expected (administrative change to receipts and potential exposure to penalties).

Context

  • The Department of Legislative Services noted several Maryland jurisdictions already have bag bans/fees (e.g., Anne Arundel, Baltimore City & County, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and several municipalities). HB 1232 aligns receipt disclosure and enforcement practices for jurisdictions that choose to impose bag fees.

If you want, I can draft suggested ordinance language localities could use to implement the receipt and penalty requirements or prepare a one‑page handout for retailers explaining compliance steps.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.