HB 1374 replaces the existing annual surcharge for zero-emission and plug-in electric vehicles with a new annual highway use fee for owners of alternative fuel vehicles, fuel-efficient vehicles (25+ MPG), and plug-in electric drive vehicles. It requires these owners to pay the annual fee instead of the previous $100-$125 surcharge, with fees deposited into a dedicated Highway Use Fee Account. The bill also establishes a voluntary mileage-based user fee program administered by the Department of Transportation, allowing vehicle owners to opt into this program instead of paying the annual fee. All funds in the Highway Use Fee Account must be used solely for Maryland’s regional commuter rail service, with strict rules prohibiting diversion to the general fund or other departmental purposes.
SB 674 creates three new regional transportation authorities for the Baltimore, Capital, and Southern Maryland regions. It imposes new sales, hotel, and transfer tax surcharges to fund these authorities, directing 70% of the revenue from these surcharges to dedicated regional transportation funds. These funds are designated as nonlapsing (permanent) and require interest earnings to be added back to the funds. The bill also establishes specific allocation rules, such as sending 30% of Baltimore region surcharge revenue to local counties and municipalities based on their sales activity. The legislation amends Maryland tax and transportation codes to implement these changes.
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.
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.
HB 58 requires counties applying for state transportation funding to identify specific intercounty paratransit routes in their applications. These routes must connect elderly and disabled residents to designated healthcare facilities, including Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Maryland Medical System, and other major providers listed in the bill. Counties receiving funds must establish these routes and cooperate with neighboring counties to serve transportation needs across jurisdictional boundaries. The bill updates Maryland’s transportation code to ensure funding supports seamless access to healthcare for vulnerable residents through coordinated regional services.
SB 288 adjusts how Maryland calculates capital grants distributed from highway user revenues to local governments. It increases Baltimore City's share from 8.3% to 12.2% starting in fiscal year 2026, raises county allocations from 4.8% to 15.2% beginning in 2027, and modifies municipal percentages (to 3.0% then 2.4% after 2027). These changes apply to funds in the Gasoline and Motor Vehicle Revenue Account, which includes fuel taxes and vehicle-related fees. The bill directly affects Baltimore City, counties, and municipalities receiving transportation capital grants.
HB 559 revises how Maryland distributes highway user revenue funds for capital grants to Baltimore City, counties, and municipalities. It changes the percentage allocations from the Gasoline and Motor Vehicle Revenue Account across specific fiscal years: Baltimore City’s share increases to 12.2% for 2026-2027 (down to 9.5% after 2028), counties’ share rises to 4.8% for 2026-2027 (then 3.7%), and municipalities’ share grows to 3.0% for 2026-2027 (then 2.4%). These adjustments apply to funds calculated annually based on highway user revenues like fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees. The bill directly affects local governments receiving these state-funded transportation grants.
HB 230 requires Maryland's Department of Transportation to create and use a standardized scoring system to evaluate and rank major surface transportation projects for funding. It directly affects local governments, transit agencies, and other entities submitting project requests by mandating they be scored based on criteria like alignment with state transportation goals and project impact. Key provisions include publishing project scores, listing recommended projects for the Consolidated Transportation Program, and altering the Maryland Transportation Commission's structure and responsibilities. The bill changes how projects are prioritized for inclusion in state transportation funding decisions, replacing previous methods with this scoring approach.
