Bill > HB974

This bill, the "Electricity and Gas - Retail Supply (Freedom From Monopolies Act)," aims to deregulate the retail energy market by repealing the authorization for the Public Service Commission (PSC) to license individual energy salespersons and energy vendors, effectively removing these roles from direct state oversight. It also reduces the assessment charged to public service companies (companies that provide essential services like electricity and gas) from 0.50% to 0.25% of their gross operating revenues, which helps fund the PSC's operations. The bill renames the "Education and Protection Fund" to the "Retail Choice Customer Education and Protection Fund" and modifies its purpose to focus solely on educating customers about retail energy choice and protecting them from unfair practices by electricity and gas suppliers, removing the previous mandate to develop training programs for salespersons and vendors. Furthermore, it abolishes a specific division within the PSC established by a previous act and repeals a section of that same act, while ensuring that any employees affected by the division's abolition are reassigned without loss of pay or benefits. The act is prospective, meaning it will only apply to agreements made on or after its effective date of October 1, 2026.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0974?ys=2026RS