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<section article="gec" article_name="Economic Development" number="2.5-111" effective_note="EFFECTIVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 2031 PER CHAPTER 423 OF 2026" title_number="2.5" title_name="Department of Commerce" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Organization and General Authority of the Department">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Local source” means a business entity that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>is headquartered in the State; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>has a principal place of business located in the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Portal” means the Maryland Local Sourcing Portal.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Tariff–impacted goods” means commodities, supplies, or raw materials identified by the Secretary as subject to federal import duties or trade volatility.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department shall develop and maintain a searchable online database, to be known as the Maryland Local Sourcing Portal, to connect businesses in the State with local sources for tariff–impacted goods and other supplies.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Portal shall be searchable by North American Industry Classification System codes.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Portal shall comply with:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>State and federal accessibility standards for digital content; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the data minimization and security standards of the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Participation in the Portal by a local source shall be voluntary.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Portal shall enable a local source to list:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the categories of supplies or inventory held in the State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a status indicator signifying that inventory is currently available for purchase.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Portal is not required to display specific quantities or proprietary stock levels.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Department may coordinate with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, the Office of the Comptroller, and the Department of Information Technology to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>identify potential local sources for inclusion in the Portal; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>leverage existing digital infrastructure to minimize the cost of developing and maintaining the Portal.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The State, the Department, and their employees shall be held harmless for any claims, damages, or losses arising from:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the accuracy or timeliness of data submitted by a voluntary participant; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>any transaction or agreement entered into between private parties using the Portal.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>On or before December 31 each year, the Department shall report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on the use and effectiveness of the Portal.</text>
  </level>
</section>
