Ch. 335                          MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                               745

OR REGULATIONS.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1973.

Approved May 7, 1973.

CHAPTER 335
(House Bill 1033)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 153C(b) of Article 83
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume and 1972
Supplement), title "Sales and Notices," subtitle "Retail Credit Accounts Law,"
to prohibit reference to race, color, creed, or national origin in any document or
investigation the purpose of which is to establish an applicant's [[commercial]]
credit, and to correct the numbering therein.

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That Section 153C(b) of Article 83 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume and 1972 Supplement), title "Sales and
Notices," subtitle "Retail Credit Accounts Law," be and it is hereby repealed and
re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

153C.

(b)(l) A retail credit account may be established by the seller or financial
institution upon the request of a buyer or prospective 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 financial institution and either in a copy thereof or in
the confirmation handed or mailed to the prospective buyer when the retail credit
account is established.

(2) ANY APPLICATION, QUESTIONNAIRE OR OTHER WRITTEN
DOCUMENT THE PURPOSE OF WHICH IS TO ESTABLISH
[[COMMERCIAL]] CREDIT FOR AN APPLICANT, SHALL NOT
CONTAIN ANY REFERENCE TO THE APPLICANT'S RACE, CREED,
COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN [[.]]; NOR SHALL ANY
INVESTIGATION, MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING THE
APPLICANT'S [[COMMERCIAL]] CREDIT, CONTAIN ANY
INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE APPLICANT'S RACE, CREED,
COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take
effect July 1, 1973.

Approved May 7, 1973.