There is a Board of Consumer Protection and Business Licensing.

The Board comprises the following 5 members, appointed by the Mayor in accordance with Article IV, § 6 {“Appointments of municipal officers.”} of <cite data-doc="City of Baltimore, Md., Charter">the Baltimore City Charter</cite>:1 member nominated in consultation with the President of the City Council; 1 member nominated in consultation with the City Comptroller; and 3 members named by the Mayor, at least 2 of whom must be members of the Maryland Bar. A Board member must:be an individual of known personal integrity; possess a recognized knowledge in business licensing or consumer protection; and be a resident of the City of Baltimore. The Director shall designate Department staff to assist the Board in carrying out its functions.

A Board member shall serve a term of 4 years, concurrent with the terms of the Mayor and the City Council and, at the end of a term, a Board member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualified. The members of the Board shall annually elect a chair from among the members of the Board. If there is a vacancy in the membership of the Board, the new member shall be appointed in the same manner as the previous member. The members of the Board shall receive no compensation for their services on the Board, but shall be reimbursed for the reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The Board shall meet at least monthly. A majority of the members of the Board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. Any appointed member of the Board who fails to attend 4 consecutive meetings without good cause, as determined by the Mayor, shall be deemed to have resigned.

The Board shall adjudicate all hearings of the Department, unless otherwise provided by law. In coordination and consultation with the Department, the Board shall:review and propose improvements to existing City rules, regulations, and laws with respect to business licensing and consumer protection; research and recommend new programs and training that could be delivered to consumers and businesses; and evaluate current programs and proposed legislation to determine their impact on consumers and businesses. As appropriate, the Board may hold informational hearings and undertake surveys and studies to:evaluate existing City policies and procedures in regard to business licensing and consumer protection; and make recommendations for the improvement of existing policies and procedures to the Director. The Board shall submit an annual report on its activities to the Department to be included in the Department’s annual report to the Mayor and City Council, as described in § 42-8 {“Annual report”} of this subtitle.