HB 916 establishes three new regional transportation funds for Baltimore, the Capital region, and Southern Maryland. It directs specific tax revenues - including 70% of sales tax surcharges and hotel surcharges collected in each region - to these funds, while the remaining 30% is distributed to local jurisdictions based on sales activity. The funds are designated as special, nonlapsing accounts, meaning they carry over year-to-year, and interest earned on these funds must be credited back to the same accounts. This bill creates the legal framework for regional transportation authorities to develop and implement transportation plans using these dedicated revenue streams.
SB 914 amends Maryland's vehicle laws by removing motorcycle riders from the legal definition of "vulnerable individual." This change specifically excludes individuals operating or riding motorcycles on roads from being considered "vulnerable" under the statute that prohibits causing serious injury or death to such individuals through traffic violations. The bill modifies Section 21-901.3 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, deleting motorcycle riders from the list of protected groups (which previously included pedestrians, cyclists, and others). The amendment does not alter penalties for causing injury or death but narrows the scope of who qualifies under this specific legal provision. It takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 1446 allows school district-employed driver trainers to administer the knowledge test for commercial driver's license school bus endorsements, instead of requiring state examiners. This directly affects school bus driver applicants and trainers working for county school boards. The bill defines "School Vehicle Driver Trainer" as individuals providing classroom instruction, highway driving training, and safety standards education. It amends Maryland law to expand the pool of authorized testers to include qualified school district staff.
SB 606 requires the Maryland Transportation Authority to analyze unused E-ZPass commuter trips from 2023-2025 and submit a report by September 2026. The report must include data on unused trips (numbers, costs, demographics) and recommend solutions like extending usage windows or offering rollovers to reduce forfeited funds. It also mandates a corrective action plan if over 25% of discount plans had unused trips during those years. The bill directly affects E-ZPass commuters, particularly low-income residents and those in communities with limited banking access, by addressing financial losses from unused prepaid trips. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and expires June 30, 2027.
HB 1130 requires the State Highway Administration to expand the existing Maryland Route 410 (East-West Highway) Pedestrian Safety Action Plan to include the segment from Queens Chapel Road east to U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue) in Prince George's County. This directly affects pedestrians, drivers, and transit users traveling along this corridor, which has experienced serious safety issues including fatal crashes and lacks continuous pedestrian infrastructure. The bill mandates adding this specific highway segment to the current project scope, ensuring continuous safety improvements like sidewalks and crossings along the entire corridor. The expansion aims to align with Vision Zero safety principles and address gaps in the existing plan that left safety measures incomplete. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 921 removes an exemption that previously shielded vehicle rental companies and holders of special registration plates from liability for traffic violations recorded by traffic control signal monitoring systems (like red light cameras) and speed monitoring systems. Currently, these entities were not subject to citations for violations captured by such systems, but the bill changes that by amending Maryland’s transportation code. The law now requires vehicle rental companies and special plate holders to be held responsible for fines when violations - such as running red lights or speeding - are recorded. This change applies to all relevant violations captured by these systems and takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 1447 requires Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to create a system verifying vehicle owners' addresses. If the MVA finds a Maryland resident driving a vehicle registered in another state, it can investigate and issue a $150 penalty for failing to properly register the vehicle within 60 days of notice. If registration remains unaddressed after 60 days, a second $500 penalty applies. All penalties collected fund Maryland's Transportation Trust Fund. This bill directly affects Maryland residents who improperly register vehicles, primarily targeting out-of-state registrations of in-state residents.
HB 827, the "Repair the Transportation Trust Fund Act," repeals the automatic annual increase of motor fuel taxes based on inflation (Consumer Price Index), preventing future tax hikes on gas and other fuels. The bill also prohibits state and local governments from implementing vehicle-miles-traveled taxes or similar fees, while requiring the Maryland Transit Administration to meet specific farebox recovery targets for certain transit services. Additionally, it allows the MTA to raise fares without certain public hearings under defined conditions and bans requirements for devices tracking vehicle miles in private vehicles. These changes directly affect transportation funding, transit fare policies, and vehicle taxation across Maryland.
SB 786 exempts transportation network companies (like ride-sharing apps) contracted with Maryland Transit Administration to provide disability transit services from requiring full criminal history checks and a mandatory employee training course. Instead, these companies must conduct annual background screenings for their drivers serving people with disabilities. The bill directly affects contracted transportation network operators providing disability transit services in Maryland. It modifies Maryland law to adjust requirements specifically for these contracted service providers, replacing certain checks with annual screenings while maintaining safety standards.
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HB 1614 authorizes the Maryland Transportation Authority Police to use lane direction control signal monitoring systems on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to enforce violations of red lane direction signals. It requires District Courts to remit civil penalties collected from these violations directly to the Maryland Transportation Authority instead of the state. The bill amends existing traffic law sections to clarify that penalties from these automated enforcement systems must be paid to the Authority and that recorded images from the systems are admissible as evidence without authentication. This affects drivers using the Chesapeake Bay Bridge who enter lanes with red signals, enabling automated enforcement of lane direction rules.
