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Delegate Conway seeks itemized receipts for carryout-bag fees; retailers say state action is unnecessary
Summary
Delegate Conway presented House Bill 12 32 to require receipts that itemize bag charges and the tax breakdown. Retail representatives told the Economic Matters Committee that local jurisdictions that impose bag fees already require itemization and warned the bill could duplicate local penalties or create double enforcement.
Delegate Conway presented House Bill 12 32 to the Economic Matters Committee, saying that current receipts are not reliably showing the number of carryout bags sold or the portion of the charge that is taxed, which he said reduces tax revenue.
Conway told the committee the bill would require cashiers and point-of-sale systems to provide customers a receipt that shows the number of bags charged and the tax breakdown. He said he could provide receipts to the committee to illustrate the problem.
Sarah Price, representing the Maryland Retailers Alliance, testified that requiring itemized bag charges at the state level is unnecessary because every jurisdiction that has passed a carryout-bag law and requires a fee already requires those charges to be itemized on receipts. Price said local statutes set penalties for noncompliance and that adding state-level penalties could create double jeopardy for businesses found out of compliance with local laws. She urged the committee to give the bill an unfavorable report.
The committee concluded the hearing on the bill and moved on to other business; no vote was recorded during this hearing.
Ending: The committee closed testimony and prepared to proceed to a voting session on other items.
