(a) The General Assembly finds that there is a need to insure that the various financial institutions and other persons and firms engaged in the extension of credit exercise their responsibility to make credit available with fairness, impartiality, and without discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status. Economic stabilization would be enhanced, and competition among the various financial institutions and other persons and firms engaged in the extension of credit would be strengthened by an absence of discrimination on the basis of sex, marital status, race, color, religion, national origin, or age (provided the applicant has capacity to contract).

(b) It is the purpose of this subtitle to require that financial institutions and other persons and firms engaged in the extension of credit do not deny credit on the basis of sex, marital status, race, color, religion, national origin, or age (provided the applicant has capacity to contract).