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<section article="gcl" article_name="Commercial Law" number="14-4104" title_number="14" title_name="Miscellaneous Consumer Protection Provisions" subtitle_number="41" subtitle_name="Financial Consumer Protection">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>For fiscal year 2025 only, the Governor may include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of at least $700,000 in special funds for the Office for the purposes of enforcement of:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Consumer protection laws under this title;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Consumer protection laws under Title 13 of this article; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Financial consumer protection laws.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of at least $350,000 in special funds for the Office for the purposes of enforcement of:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Consumer protection laws under this title;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Consumer protection laws under Title 13 of this article; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Financial consumer protection laws.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Office shall use the funds under paragraph (1) of this subsection for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Staffing costs associated with hiring new employees; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Investigations of alleged violations of consumer protection laws in the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>For fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor shall include an appropriation of at least $300,000 in general funds in the State budget for the Commissioner for the purposes of enforcement of financial consumer protection laws.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Commissioner shall use the funds under paragraph (1) of this subsection for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Staffing costs associated with hiring new employees; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Investigations of alleged violations of consumer protection laws in the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
