Maryland Statutes
Subtitle 6 - International Marriage Brokers
Section 19-601 - Definitions

(a)    In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
    (b)    “Basic rights information” means information applicable to a noncitizen, including information about human rights, immigration, and emergency assistance and resources.
    (c)    “Client” means an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States and the State of Maryland and who uses the services of an international marriage broker to meet recruits.
    (d) “Criminal history record information” means criminal history record information as described in § 10–201 of the Criminal Procedure Article.
    (e)    (1)    “International marriage broker” means a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other legal entity that does business in the United States and offers to Maryland residents dating, matrimonial, or social referral services involving recruits by:
            (i)    exchanging names, telephone numbers, addresses, photographs, or statistics or otherwise facilitating communication between a client and a recruit; or
            (ii)    providing a social environment for introducing clients to recruits in person.
        (2)    “International marriage broker” does not include:
            (i)    a traditional marriage broker that operates on a nonprofit basis and otherwise operates in compliance with the laws of the countries in which it operates, including the laws of the United States; or
            (ii)    an entity that provides dating services if its principal business is not to provide international dating services between Maryland residents and foreign nationals and it charges comparable rates and offers comparable services to all individuals it serves regardless of the individual’s gender or country of citizenship.
    (f)    “Marital history information” means a declaration of an individual’s current marital status, the number of times the individual has been married, the number of domestic violence protective orders issued against the individual, and whether any previous marriage occurred as a result of receiving services from an international marriage broker.
    (g)    “Recruit” means an individual who is not a citizen or resident of the United States and who uses the services of or is recruited by an international marriage broker for dating, matrimonial, or social referral services.

Structure Maryland Statutes