202                                        LAWS OF MARYLAND                                Ch. 131

prospective buyer, and to generally relate to the contractual rights of married
and unmarried women.

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That Section 5 of Article 45 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1971 Replacement Volume), title "Husband and Wife"; be and it is hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments; that new Section 128(c) be and it is
hereby added to Article 83 of the Code (1969 Replacement Volume), title "Sales
and Notices," subtitle "Retail Installment Sales," to follow immediately after
Section 128(d) thereof; and that Section 153C(b) of the same Article and title.
subtitle "Retail Credit Accounts Law," be and it is hereby repealed and
re-enacted, with amendments, and all to read as follows:

Article 45

5.

Married women shall have power to engage in any business, and to contract,
whether engaged in business or not, and to sue upon their contracts, and also to
sue for the recovery, security or protection of their property, and for torts
committed against them, as fully as if they were unmarried; contracts may also be
made with them, and they may also be sued separately upon their contracts,
whether made before or during marriage, and for wrongs independent of contract
committed by them before or during their marriage, as fully as if they were
unmarried; and upon judgments recovered against them, execution may be issued
as if they were unmarried; nor shall any husband be liable upon any contract made
by his wife in her own name and upon her own responsibility, nor for any tort
committed separately by her out of his presence, without his participation or
sanction.

THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION APPLY TO ALL
CONTRACTUAL RELATIONS ENTERED INTO BY MARRIED OR
UNMARRIED WOMEN, INCLUDING RETAIL INSTALLMENT SALES
OR RETAIL CREDIT ACCOUNTS AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 83 OF THIS
CODE.

Article 83
128.

(E) NO SELLER MAY DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY
INSTALLMENT BUYER BECAUSE OF THE SEX OR MARITAL STATUS
OF THE BUYER.

153C.

(b) A retail credit account may be established by the seller or financial
institution upon the request of a buyer or prospective buyer. NO SELLER OR
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SHALL DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY
BUYER OR PROSPECTIVE BUYER WISHING TO ESTABLISH A RETAIL
CREDIT ACCOUNT BECAUSE OF THE SEX OR MARITAL STATUS OF
THE BUYER. Each such retail credit account agreement shall be in writing and
signed by the buyer or, the seller or financial institution shall have made a
reasonable attempt to obtain the signature of the buyer to such a written
agreement. A legend stating that service charges will be made, in amounts or at
rates not in excess of those permitted by law. shall be printed in type no smaller
than elite typewriter characters, both in the application form used by the seller or