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<section article="gcl" article_name="Commercial Law" number="14-3901" title_number="14" title_name="Miscellaneous Consumer Protection Provisions" subtitle_number="39" subtitle_name="Transparency in Consumer Arbitrations Act">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>“Arbitration activity” means the initiation, conduct, sponsorship, or administration of, or the appointment of an arbitrator in, a consumer arbitration.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>“Arbitration organization” means a nongovernmental association, agency, board, commission, corporation, or other entity that performs arbitration activities.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>“Consumer” means an individual who is:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A resident of the State; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An actual or prospective purchaser or lessee of any goods, services, real property, or credit primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Consumer arbitration” means a binding arbitration conducted in accordance with a consumer arbitration agreement.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Consumer arbitration” does not include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A binding arbitration conducted in accordance with the provisions of a policy of property insurance, casualty insurance, or surety insurance, as those terms are defined in § 1–101 of the Insurance Article;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>An arbitration governed by rules adopted by a securities self–regulatory organization and approved by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission under federal law; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>An arbitration between a consumer and a related institution that is licensed by the Maryland Department of Health, if the consumer arbitration agreement between the consumer and the related institution is not mandated as a condition of admission of the consumer to the related institution.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>“Consumer arbitration agreement” means a standardized contract that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Is between a consumer and another person who is not a consumer;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Provides for the sale or lease of any goods, services, real property, or credit primarily for personal, family, or household purposes; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Requires that disputes arising under the contract be submitted to binding arbitration.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Consumer arbitration agreement” does not include a public or private sector collective bargaining agreement.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>“Related institution” has the meaning stated in § 19–301 of the Health – General Article.</text>
  </level>
</section>
