Legislative Session 2024
SB 68 / HB 1335: Reckless and Negligent Driving – Death of Another – Must-Appear Violation (Sherry’s and Christian’s Law). Sponsors: Senators Carozza, Gile, Jennings, Klausmeier, Watson & West. Delegates: Szeliga
Providing that a person charged with reckless or negligent driving must appear in court and may not prepay the fine if the reckless or negligent driving contributed to an accident that resulted in the death of another person, unless a court for good cause shown waives the requirement to appear. Committee: Senate Judicial Proceedings: Hearing: 1/31/2024 at 1:00pm: ABATE Position: SUPPORT. Committee: House Judiciary: Hearing: March 6, 2024 at 1pm
STATUS: DID NOT PASS
SB 503 / HB 639: Vehicle Laws – Protective Headgear Requirement – Exception (In Remembrance of Gary “Pappy” Boward): Sponsors: SB503: Senators McKay, Ready, Salling, Mautz & Carter; HB639:
Delegates Wivell, Baker, Hinebaugh, A. Johnson, & Valentine. Synopsis: Establishing an exception to the prohibition against operating or riding on a motorcycle without certain protective headgear for an individual at least 21 years of age who has been licensed to operate a motorcycle for at least 2 years or has completed a certain motorcycle safety course and for the individual’s passenger.
Committee:
Senate Judicial Proceedings; Thursday, February 22, 2024 – 1:00pm: House Environment & Transportation:
Hearing date: Thursday, February 14, 2024 – 1:00pm: ABATE Position: SUPPORT
STATUS: DID NOT PASS
HB 64: Motor Vehicle Excise Tax – Tax Credit for Electric Vehicles – Eligibility: Altering eligibility for the vehicle excise tax credit for the purchase of certain electric vehicles to include certain vehicles purchased used and titled on or after July 1, 2024, but before July 1, 2027.
Committee: House Environment & Transportation.
Hearing: 2/01/2024 at 1:00pm
STATUS: DID NOT PASS
HB 77: Motor Vehicles – Parking – Armed Forces Special Registration Plates: Prohibiting a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing an ordinance, a regulation, or a policy that requires payment of a fee for parking a motor vehicle in a parking space served by a parking meter if the motor vehicle has a certain individually earned, combat-related armed forces special registration plate or a certain disabled veteran special registration plate.
Committee: House Environment & Transportation:
Hearing: 2/01/2024 at 1:00pm: ABATE Position: SUPPORT
STATUS: DID NOT PASS
HB 102 / SB 730: Motor Vehicles – Motorcycles – Passenger Restrictions: Requiring a rear passenger on a motorcycle to be able to firmly position the passenger’s feet on the footrests of the motorcycle, subject to an exception for permanent physical disability. Committee: House Environment & Transportation: Hearing: 2/01/2024 at 1pm: ABATE Position: Monitoring. Status:002/06/2024: Committee vote 21-0 in favor – no amendments. House floor 110-18.
Committee: Senate JPR:
Hearing: 2/22/2024, Committee vote: 11-0, Senate floor vote: 45-1
STATUS: PASSED
HB 113 / SB 42:Vehicle Laws – Horse Riding – Helmet Requirement for Minors: Prohibiting an adult from allowing certain minors to ride a horse, donkey, mule, or pony on a highway, a public horse-riding path, or the grounds of a facility for which the primary purpose is recreational, educational, or competitive equestrian activities unless the minor is wearing a properly secured helmet that meets or exceeds the standards of the American Society of Testing and Materials for protective headgear used in equestrian riding.
Committee: House Environment & Transportation
Hearing: 2/01/2024 at 1:00pm, committee vote: 19-3, House floor vote: 117-21
Senate Judicial Proceedings: 1/31/2024: 1pm
Committee Vote: 9-1 :ABATE Position: Monitoring
STATUS: PASSED
HB150: Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program and Diesel Vehicle Emissions Control Program – Fees and Fines: Establishing a recurring fee on each motor vehicle registered in the State that is granted a waiver from, exempted from, or not subject to the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program and on certain diesel vehicles; requiring the fee to be deposited in the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund and used to provide incentives to expand electric vehicle ownership and to expand electric vehicle infrastructure; etc.
Committee: House Environment & Transportation:
Hearing: 2/01/2024 at 1:00pm: ABATE Position: DOES NOT SUPPORT
STATUS: DID NOT PASS
HB 178 / SB 55: Vehicle Laws – Disabled Veteran Registration Plates – Issuance: Authorizing the Motor Vehicle Administration to issue certain special disabled veteran registration plates to disabled veterans who are between 50% and 99%, inclusive, service-connected disabled as designated or classified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; prohibiting the Administration from charging certain persons the fee required for replacement registration plates under certain circumstances; etc.
Committee: House Environment & Transportation:
Hearing: 2/08/2024 at 1:00pm, committee vote: 22-0, House floor vote: 138-0;
Senate Judicial Proceedings: Hearing: 1/31/2024 at 1pm:9-0, floor vote: 46-0; ABATE Position: SUPPORT
STATUS: PASSED
HB212 / SB 155: Vehicle Laws – Noise Abatement Monitoring Systems – Authorization: Authorizing the use of noise abatement monitoring systems in Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County to enforce certain motor vehicle noise requirements; etc.
Committee: House Environment & Transportation: Hearing: 2/08/2024 at 1:00pm, committee vote: FWA 13-6, floor vote 94-39 ;
Senate Judicial Proceedings: Hearing: 1/31/2024 at 1pm: ABATE Position: DOES NOT SUPPORT
STATUS: PASSED
HB231 & SB 275: Vehicle Laws – Special Registration Plates – Gold Star and Next of Kin Families: Authorizing the recipient of a U.S. Department of Defense Next of Kin lapel button to apply for special registration plates; and waiving the initial vehicle registration fee associated with, and requiring the name and rank of the deceased service member to be included on, special registration plates issued to the recipient of a Gold Star or a Next of Kin lapel button.
Committee: House Environment & Transportation: Hearing: 2/08/2024 at 1:00pm, committee vote: FWA: 19-0, House floor: 138-0: JPR Vote 9-0, Senate Floor:46-0: ABATE Position: SUPPORT
STATUS: PASSED
SB 256: Public Safety – Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission – Revisions: Altering the membership and duties of the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission; providing that a law enforcement agency may employ an individual as a police officer for a certain period only if the individual is certified or provisionally certified by the Commission; and altering provisions of law relating to the certification and recertification of police officers. This bill affects a portion of the law concerning motorcyclist profiling. However, none of the changes seem to affect motorcyclists negatively. there is a portion of the bill that actually requires a statement condemning motorcycle profiling be added to existing written policies. We will continue to monitor. Committee: Senate Judicial Proceedings: Hearing: 2/06/2024 at 1pm: ABATE Position: Monitoring
STATUS: DID NOT PASS