EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1227*
HOUSE BILL 1227
R5, F3 5lr0934
By: Montgomery County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Montgomery County – Vehicle Control and Monitoring Systems – 2
Distribution of Contested Traffic Fines, Application, and Implementation 3
MC 8–25 4
FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning on a certain date, that citations issued for certain 5
alleged traffic violations in Montgomery County provide that the penalty be paid 6
directly to Montgomery County; requiring, beginning on a certain date, that the fines 7
collected by Montgomery County as a result of certain traffic violations contested in 8
the District Court be distributed in a certain manner to be used only to assist in 9
covering the cost to construct median dividers on certain highways in Montgomery 10
County; altering the application of and implementation date for a provision of law 11
regarding school bus stops located on certain highways in Montgomery County; and 12
generally relating to vehicle control and monitoring systems in Montgomery County. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 15
Section 7–302(e)(2) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 19
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 20
Section 7–302(e)(4)(i) and (ii) 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 23
BY adding to 24
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 25
Section 7–302(e)(4)(vii) 26
Annotated Code of Maryland 27 2 HOUSE BILL 1227
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 1
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 2
Article – Education 3
Section 7–801.1 4
Annotated Code of Maryland 5
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 6
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 8
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 9
7–302. 10
(e) (2) (i) A citation issued as the result of a vehicle height monitoring 11
system, a traffic control signal monitoring system, a speed monitoring system, a work zone 12
speed control system or a stop sign monitoring system controlled by a political subdivision, 13
a school bus monitoring camera, a bus lane monitoring system, or a noise abatement 14
monitoring system shall provide that, in an uncontested case, the penalty shall be paid 15
directly to that political subdivision. 16
(ii) A citation issued as the result of a traffic control signal 17
monitoring system or a work zone speed control system controlled by a State agency, or as 18
a result of a vehicle height monitoring system, a traffic control signal monitoring system, a 19
speed monitoring system, a stop sign monitoring system, a school bus monitoring camera, 20
a bus lane monitoring system, or a noise abatement monitoring system in a case contested 21
in District Court, shall provide that the penalty shall be paid directly to [the]: 22
1. BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2025, MONTGOMERY 23
COUNTY FOR CITATIONS ISSUED FOR ALLEGED VIOLATIO NS IN MONTGOMERY 24
COUNTY; OR 25
2. THE District Court FOR CITATIONS ISSUED FOR 26
ALLEGED VIOLATIONS IN ALL OTHER POLITIC AL SUBDIVISIONS . 27
(4) (i) Except as provided in paragraph (5) of this subsection, from the 28
fines collected by a political subdivision as a result of violations enforced by speed 29
monitoring systems, work zone speed control systems, stop sign monitoring systems, school 30
bus monitoring cameras, bus lane monitoring systems, or noise abatement monitoring 31
systems, a political subdivision: 32
1. May recover the costs of implementing and administering 33
the speed monitoring systems, work zone speed control systems, school bus monitoring 34
cameras, bus lane monitoring systems, or noise abatement monitoring systems; and 35
HOUSE BILL 1227 3
2. Subject to subparagraphs (ii), (iii), and (iv) of this 1
paragraph, may spend any remaining balance solely for public safety purposes, including 2
pedestrian or highway safety programs. 3
(ii) 1. For any fiscal year, if the balance remaining from the fines 4
collected by a political subdivision as a result of violations enforced by speed monitoring 5
systems, after the costs of implementing and administering the systems are recovered in 6
accordance with subparagraph (i)1 of this paragraph, is greater than 10% of the total 7
revenues of the political subdivision for the fiscal year, the political subdivision shall remit 8
any funds that exceed 10% of the total revenues to the Comptroller. 9
2. The Comptroller shall deposit any money remitted under 10
this subparagraph to the General Fund of the State. 11
(VII) BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2025, FROM THE FINES 12
COLLECTED BY MONTGOMERY COUNTY AS A RESULT OF CITATIONS ISSUED AND 13
CONTESTED IN ACCORDA NCE WITH § 21–202.1, § 21–706.1, § 21–809, § 21–810, § 14
21–1134, OR § 22–612 OF THE TRANSPORTATION ARTICLE, ANY BALANCE 15
REMAINING AFTER THE ALLOCATION OF FINES UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I)1 OF THIS 16
PARAGRAPH SHALL BE REMITTED TO THE COMPTROLLER FOR DISTRIBUTION TO 17
THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION TO BE USED ONLY TO ASSIST IN CO VERING 18
THE COST TO CONSTRUCT MEDIAN DIVIDERS ON HIGHWAYS IN MONTGOMERY 19
COUNTY WHERE : 20
1. A SCHOOL BUS STOP IS L OCATED; AND 21
2. AT LEAST 400 CITATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO 22
DRIVERS TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION O F THE BUS STOP. 23
Article – Education 24
7–801.1. 25
(a) This section applies only [in]: 26
(1) IN Montgomery County; AND 27
(2) TO A SCHOOL BUS STOP AT A LOCATION FOR WH ICH AT LEAST 400 28
CITATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO DRIVERS TR AVELING IN THE OPPOSITE 29
DIRECTION OF THE BUS STOP. 30
(b) Beginning on December 31, [2026] 2028, a school bus stop may not be located 31
on any highway with five or more undivided traffic lanes unless: 32
4 HOUSE BILL 1227
(1) A school crossing guard is posted at the school bus stop to assist 1
students in crossing the highway; or 2
(2) A traffic control device that maintains a red signal while a student is 3
boarding or exiting a school bus is placed at the school bus stop. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take eff ect July 5
1, 2025. 6