EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1256*
HOUSE BILL 1256
R5 5lr2803
CF SB 949
By: Delegates Ziegler, Feldmark, Hornberger, Lehman, Roberts, Schmidt, Wims,
Wivell, Wu, and Young
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Vehicle Laws – Fully Autonomous Vehicles 2
FOR the purpose of establishing certain standards and requirements for the operation of 3
fully autonomous vehicles on highways in the State; and generally relating to fully 4
autonomous vehicles. 5
BY adding to 6
Article – Transportation 7
Section 21–1501 through 21–1505 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 15. Fully 8
Autonomous Vehicles” 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Transportation 14
SUBTITLE 15. FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES. 15
21–1501. 16
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FO LLOWING WORDS HAVE T HE MEANINGS 17
INDICATED. 18
(B) “AUTOMATED DRIVING SYS TEM” MEANS THE HARDWARE A ND 19
SOFTWARE THAT ARE CO LLECTIVELY CAPABLE O F PERFORMING THE ENT IRE 20
DYNAMIC DRIVING TASK ON A SUSTAINED BASIS , REGARDLESS OF WHETHE R IT IS 21
LIMITED TO A SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL DESIGN D OMAIN. 22 2 HOUSE BILL 1256
(C) “DYNAMIC DRIVING TASK ” MEANS ALL OF THE REA L–TIME 1
OPERATIONAL FUNCTION S REQUIRED TO OPERAT E A MOTOR VEHICLE ON A 2
HIGHWAY, INCLUDING: 3
(1) LATERAL VEHICLE MOTIO N CONTROL THROUGH ST EERING; 4
(2) LONGITUDINAL MOTION CONTRO L THROUGH ACCELERATI ON 5
AND DECELERATION ; 6
(3) MONITORING THE DRIVIN G ENVIRONMENT THROUG H OBJECT 7
AND EVENT DETECTION , RECOGNITION , CLASSIFICATION , AND RESPONSE 8
PREPARATION ; 9
(4) OBJECT AND EVENT RESP ONSE EXECUTION ; 10
(5) MANEUVER PLANNING; AND 11
(6) SIGNALING WITH LIGHTS OR GESTURES. 12
(D) (1) “FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHI CLE” MEANS A MOTOR VEHICL E 13
EQUIPPED WITH AN AUT OMATED DRIVING SYSTE M DESIGNED TO FUNCTI ON 14
WITHOUT A HUMAN DRIV ER. 15
(2) “FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHI CLE” INCLUDES A LEVEL 4 OR 5 16
SYSTEM AS DEFINED BY “TAXONOMY AND DEFINITIONS FOR TERMS RELATED TO 17
DRIVING AUTOMATION SYSTEMS FOR ON–ROAD MOTOR VEHICLES” PUBLISHED BY 18
THE SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS INTERNATIONAL . 19
(E) “MINIMAL RISK CONDITIO N” MEANS A LOW –RISK CONDITION A FUL LY 20
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE A CHIEVES, BY WAY OF THE HUMAN DRIVER OR THE 21
AUTOMATED DRIVING SY STEM, WHEN THE VEHICLE CAN NOT SAFELY CONTINUE THE 22
TRIP. 23
(F) “OPERATIONAL DESIGN DO MAIN” MEANS OPERATING COND ITIONS 24
UNDER WHICH A GIVEN AUTOMATED DRIVING SY STEM IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED 25
TO FUNCTION , INCLUDING ENVIRONMEN TAL CONDITIONS , ROADWAY 26
CHARACTERISTICS , OR TIME–OF–DAY RESTRICTIONS . 27
21–1502. 28
(A) A PERSON MAY OPERATE A FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEH ICLE ON A 29
HIGHWAY IN THE STATE WITHOUT A HUMAN DRIVER AND WITH THE AUTOMATED 30 HOUSE BILL 1256 3
DRIVING SYSTEM ENGAGED IF THE VEHICLE MEETS THE FOLLOWING CONDIT IONS: 1
(1) IF A FAILURE OF THE A UTOMATED DRIVING SYS TEM OCCURS 2
THAT RENDERS THE SYS TEM UNABLE TO PERFOR M THE ENTIRE DYNAMIC DRIVING 3
TASK RELEVANT TO ITS INTENDED OPERATIONAL DESIGN DOMAIN , THE FULLY 4
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE W ILL ACHIEVE A MINIMA L RISK CONDITION ; 5
(2) THE FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE IS CAPABLE O F OPERATING IN 6
ACCORDANCE WITH THE MARYLAND VEHICLE LAW, UNLESS AN EXEMPTION HAS 7
BEEN GRANTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION ; AND 8
(3) THE FULLY AUTON OMOUS VEHICLE BEARS THE REQUIRED 9
MANUFACTURER ’S CERTIFICATION LABE L INDICATING THAT TH E VEHICLE IS IN 10
COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY 11
STANDARDS, INCLUDING REFERENCE TO ANY EXEMPTION GRA NTED BY THE 12
NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION . 13
(B) (1) BEFORE OPERATING A FU LLY AUTONOMOUS VEHIC LE ON A 14
HIGHWAY IN THE STATE WITHOUT A HUMAN DRIVER AND WITH THE AUTOMATED 15
DRIVING SYSTEM ENGAG ED, A PERSON SHALL SUBMI T A LAW ENFORCEMENT 16
INTERACTION PLAN TO THE ADMINISTRATION . 17
(2) A LAW ENFORCEMENT INTE RACTION PLAN SHALL C ONTAIN 18
INFORMATION ON : 19
(I) HOW TO COMMUNICATE WI TH A FLEET SUPPORT 20
SPECIALIST WHO IS AV AILABLE DURING THE T IMES THE FULLY AUTON OMOUS 21
VEHICLE IS IN OPERAT ION; 22
(II) HOW TO SAFELY REMOVE THE FULLY AUTONOMOUS 23
VEHICLE FROM THE HIGHWA Y AND STEPS TO PROPE RLY TOW THE VEHICLE ; 24
(III) HOW TO RECOGNIZE WHET HER THE FULLY AUTONO MOUS 25
VEHICLE IS OPERATING AUTONOMOUSLY ; AND 26
(IV) ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT THE MANUFACTURE R, 27
OWNER, OR ADMINISTRATION CONSID ERS NECESSARY , INCLUDING INFORMATIO N 28
REGARDING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS OR PUBLIC SAFETY RISKS ASSOCIA TED WITH 29
THE OPERATION OF A F ULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHI CLE. 30
(C) BEFORE OPERATING A FU LLY AUTONOMOUS VEHIC LE ON A HIGHWAY IN 31
THE STATE WITHOUT A HUMAN DRIVER AND WITH THE AUTOMAT ED DRIVING 32
SYSTEM ENGAGED , THE OWNER OF THE VEH ICLE SHALL SUBMIT PR OOF OF 33 4 HOUSE BILL 1256
REQUIRED SECURITY TO THE ADMINISTRATION ON THE FORM THE 1
ADMINISTRATION PROVID ES. 2
(D) WHEN A FULLY AUTONOMO US VEHICLE IS OPERAT ING WITH THE 3
AUTOMATED DRIVING SY STEM ENGAGED , THE AUTOMATED DRIVING SYSTE M IS 4
CONSIDERED TO : 5
(1) BE THE VEHICLE OPERAT OR FOR DETERMINING C OMPLIANCE 6
WITH THE MARYLAND VEHICLE LAW; 7
(2) SATISFY ELECTRONICALL Y ALL PHYSICAL ACTS REQUIRED BY A 8
VEHICLE DRIVER ; AND 9
(3) BE LICENSED TO OPERAT E THE VEHICLE. 10
(E) (1) A HUMAN DRIVER MAY OPE RATE A FULLY AUTONOM OUS VEHICLE 11
IF THE AUTOMATED DRI VING SYSTEM IS NOT E NGAGED. 12
(2) A PERSON SHALL OPERATE A FULLY AUTONOMOUS V EHICLE IF 13
THE AUTOMATED DRIVIN G SYSTEM MAKES A REQ UEST FOR THE PERSON TO 14
INTERVENE WHEN THE A UTOMATED DRIVING SYST EM IS NOT CAPABLE OF 15
PERFORMING THE ENTIR E DYNAMIC DRIVING TA SK WITHIN THE OPERAT IONAL 16
DESIGN DOMAIN . 17
(F) (1) IN THE EVENT OF A VEH ICLE CRASH INVOLVING A FULLY 18
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE , THE FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AND THE OPER ATOR OR 19
PASSENGER IN THE FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SHALL COMPLY WITH THE 20
REQUIREMENTS UNDER TITLE 20 OF THIS ARTICLE. 21
(2) ALL NOTICE AND REPORT ING REQUIREMENTS UND ER TITLE 20 22
OF THIS ARTICLE SHAL L BE SATISFIED WITHI N 15 DAYS AFTER A VEHICLE CRASH 23
INVOLVING A FULLY AU TONOMOUS VEHICLE , UNLESS AN EXTENSION IS GRANTED 24
UNDER TITLE 20 OF THIS ARTICLE. 25
21–1503. 26
(A) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION , A TRANSPORTATION 27
NETWORK COMPANY , FOR–HIRE VEHICLE COMPANY , OR OTHER GROUND 28
PASSENGER TRANSPORTA TION COMPANY MAY USE FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEH ICLES. 29
(B) ANY PROVISION OF THE MARYLAND VEHICLE LAW THAT BY ITS NATUR E 30
APPLIES ONLY TO A HUMAN DRIVER DO ES NOT APPLY TO THE OPERATOR OF A FULLY 31
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE W ITH THE AUTOMATED DR IVING SYSTEM ENGAGED BEING 32 HOUSE BILL 1256 5
USED BY A TRANSPORTA TION NETWORK COMPANY , FOR–HIRE VEHICLE COMPANY , 1
OR OTHER GROUND PASS ENGER TRANSPORTATION COMPANY. 2
21–1504. 3
THE MOTOR VEHICLE TIT LE AND REGISTRATION FOR A FULLY AUTONOMO US 4
VEHICLE SHALL IDENTI FY THE VEHICLE AS A “FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE”. 5
21–1505. 6
A STATE AGENCY OR LOCAL POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO N MAY NOT PROHIBIT T HE 7
OPERATION OF FULLY A UTONOMOUS VEHICLES O N HIGHWAYS UNDER THEIR 8
JURISDICTION. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
October 1, 2025. 11