Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB439 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXIS TING LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0439
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 439
8	8	R7 5lr0858
9	9	CF 5lr2705
10	10	By: Delegate Stewart
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 16, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Vehicle Laws – Fully Autonomous Vehicles – Human Safety Operators and 2
19	19	Reporting Requirements 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of requiring a human safety operator to be present in certain fully 4
22	22	autonomous vehicles operating on highways in the State; requiring a manufacturer 5
23	23	of a fully autonomous vehicle to submit to the Motor Vehicle Administration an 6
24	24	incident report on any vehicle collision, certain citations for traffic violations, any 7
25	25	disengagement event, or any assault or harassment of a passenger or human safety 8
26	26	operator that occurs in the State and involves a fully autonomous vehicle under 9
27	27	certain circumstances; requiring a manufacturer of certain fully autonomous 10
28	28	vehicles to submit to the Administration reports on certain collisions involving the 11
29	29	fully autonomous vehicles and an annual report on certain disengagements of certain 12
30	30	fully autonomous vehicles occurring in the State; requiring the Administration to 13
31	31	submit findings and recommendations to the General Assembly regar ding the 14
32	32	operation of certain fully autonomous vehicles in the State; and generally relating to 15
33	33	fully autonomous vehicles. 16
34	34
35	35	BY adding to 17
36	36	Article – Transportation 18
37	37	Section 18.3–101 through 18.3–106 to be under the new title “Title 18.3. Autonomous 19
38	38	Vehicles” 20
39	39	Annotated Code of Maryland 21
40	40	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 22
41	41
42	42	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 23
43	43	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 24
44	44
45	45	Article – Transportation 25
46	46
47	47	TITLE 18.3. AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES. 26 2 HOUSE BILL 439
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	18.3–101. 1
52	52
53	53	(A) IN THIS TITLE THE FOL LOWING WORDS HAVE TH E MEANINGS 2
54	54	INDICATED. 3
55	55
56	56	(B) “AUTOMATED DRIVING SYS TEM” MEANS THE HARDWARE A ND 4
57	57	SOFTWARE THAT ARE CO LLECTIVELY CAPABLE O F PERFORMING THE ENT IRE 5
58	58	DYNAMIC DRIVING TASK ON A CO NTINUOUS BASIS , REGARDLESS OF OPERAT IONAL 6
59	59	DESIGN DOMAIN LIMITA TIONS. 7
60	60
61	61	(C) “DISENGAGEMENT ” MEANS DEACTIVATION OF THE AUTONOMOUS MODE 8
62	62	OR AUTONOMOUS TECHNO LOGY OF A FULLY AUTO NOMOUS VEHICLE WHEN : 9
63	63
64	64	(1) A FAILURE OF THE AUTON OMOUS TECHNOL OGY IS DETECTED ; 10
65	65
66	66	(2) THE SAFE OPERATION OF TH E FULLY AUTONOMOUS V EHICLE 11
67	67	REQUIRES THAT THE HU MAN SAFETY OPERATOR DISENGAGE THE AUTONO MOUS 12
68	68	MODE AND TAKE IMMEDI ATE CONTROL OF THE V EHICLE; OR 13
69	69
70	70	(3) FOR A DRIVERLESS FULL Y AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE , THE SAFETY 14
71	71	OF THE VEHICLE , THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE, OR THE PUBLIC REQUIR ES 15
72	72	THAT THE AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY BE DEACTI VATED. 16
73	73
74	74	(D) “DYNAMIC DRIVING TASK ” MEANS ALL OF THE REA L–TIME 17
75	75	OPERATIONAL AND TACT ICAL FUNCTIONS REQUIRED T O OPERATE A VEHICLE . 18
76	76
77	77	(E) “FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHI CLE” MEANS A MOTOR VEHICL E EQUIPPED 19
78	78	WITH AN AUTOMATED DR IVING SYSTEM THAT HA S THE CAPABILITY TO PERFORM 20
79	79	ALL ASPECTS OF THE D YNAMIC DRIVING TASK WITHOUT A DRIVER WIT HIN AN 21
80	80	OPERATIONAL DESI GN DOMAIN. 22
81	81
82	82	(F) “HUMAN SAFETY OPERATOR ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL: 23
83	83
84	84	(1) OPERATING A FULLY AUT ONOMOUS VEHICLE WHO IS TRAINED IN 24
85	85	OPERATING AND SHUTTI NG OFF THE VEHICLE ; AND 25
86	86
87	87	(2) WHO MEETS ALL FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS FO R THE 26
88	88	TYPE OF VEHICLE BEIN G OPERATED. 27
89	89
90	90	(G) “OPERATIONAL DESIGN DO MAIN” MEANS A DESCRIPTION OF THE 28
91	91	OPERATING DOMAINS AN D SYSTEMS UNDER WHIC H AN AUTOMATED DRIVI NG 29
92	92	SYSTEM IS DESIGNED T O EFFECTIVELY OPERAT E, INCLUDING: 30 HOUSE BILL 439 3
93	93
94	94
95	95
96	96	(1) GEOGRAPHIC LIMITATION S; 1
97	97
98	98	(2) ROADWAY TYPES ; 2
99	99
100	100	(3) SPEED RANGE; AND 3
101	101
102	102	(4) ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITI ONS. 4
103	103
104	104	18.3–102. 5
105	105
106	106	(A) BEGINNING DECEMBER 1, 2025, A MANUFACTURER OF A FULLY 6
107	107	AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE S HALL SUBMIT AN INCIDENT REPORT TO THE 7
108	108	ADMINISTRATION ON ANY VEHICLE COLLI SION, TRAFFIC CITATION FOR A 8
109	109	VIOLATION THAT HAS NOT BEEN AD JUDICATED NOT GUILTY OR NOT LIABLE , 9
110	110	DISENGAGEMENT , OR ASSAULT OR HARASS MENT OF A PASSENGER OR HUMAN 10
111	111	SAFETY OPERATOR THAT INVOLVE D THE VEHICLE WHEN OPERATING IN FU LLY 11
112	112	AUTONOMOUS MODE IN THE STATE. 12
113	113
114	114	(B) AN INCIDENT REPORT SU BMITTED UNDE R SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 13
115	115	SECTION RELATED TO A VEHICLE COLLISION SHALL INCLUDE : 14
116	116
117	117	(1) A DETAILED NARRATIVE O F THE COLLISION , INCLUDING ANY 15
118	118	RELEVANT PRE –COLLISION AND POST COLLISION INFORMATIO N; 16
119	119
120	120	(2) THE CAUSE OF THE COLL ISION; 17
121	121
122	122	(3) ANY PASSENGER INTERAC TIONS; 18
123	123
124	124	(4) THE ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AT THE TI ME OF THE 19
125	125	COLLISION; 20
126	126
127	127	(5) ANY INTERACTIONS WITH ROAD USERS OR OBSTAC LES ON THE 21
128	128	ROAD; 22
129	129
130	130	(6) VEHICLE PERFORMANCE D ATA; 23
131	131
132	132	(7) INJURY AND PR OPERTY DAMAGE DETAIL S; 24
133	133
134	134	(8) THE STATUS OF THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE’S TECHNOLOGY AT 25
135	135	THE TIME OF THE COLL ISION; AND 26
136	136	4 HOUSE BILL 439
137	137
138	138
139	139	(9) ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATI ON REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL 1
140	140	HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION . 2
141	141
142	142	(C) AN INCIDENT REPORT SU BMITTED UNDER SUBSEC TION (A) OF THIS 3
143	143	SECTION RELATED TO A TRAFFIC CITATION FOR A VIOLATION THAT HAS NOT BEEN 4
144	144	ADJUDICATED NOT GUIL TY OR NOT LIABLE SHALL INCLUDE : 5
145	145
146	146	(1) THE SPECIFIC TRAFFIC LAW THAT WAS VIOLATE D, INCLUDING 6
147	147	ANY OFFICIAL RECORD OF AN ISSUED TRAFFIC CITATION; 7
148	148
149	149	(2) THE CIRCUMSTANCES THA T LED TO THE CITATION; 8
150	150
151	151	(3) ANY ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE AUTONOMOUS VEHIC LE OR OTHER 9
152	152	INVOLVED PARTIES IN RESPONSE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT L ED TO THE 10
153	153	CITATION; AND 11
154	154
155	155	(4) ANY JUSTIFICATION OFF ERED FOR THE VIOLATION THAT LED TO 12
156	156	THE CITATION. 13
157	157
158	158	(D) (1) AN INCIDENT REPORT SUBMITTED UND ER SUBSECTION (A) OF 14
159	159	THIS SECTION RELATED TO A DISENGAGEMENT SHALL INCLUDE : 15
160	160
161	161	(I) THE LOCATION AT WHICH THE DISENGA GEMENT 16
162	162	OCCURRED; 17
163	163
164	164	(II) WHETHER THE VEHICLE W AS IN OPERATION WITH A DRI VER 18
165	165	AT THE TIME OF THE DISENGAGEMENT ; 19
166	166
167	167	(III) A DESCRIPTION OF THE F ACTS AND CIRCUMSTANC ES OF 20
168	168	THE DISENGAGEMENT , INCLUDING WEATHER CO NDITIONS, ROAD SURFACE 21
169	169	CONDITIONS, TRAFFIC CONDITIONS , CONSTRUCTION , EMERGENCIES , OR 22
170	170	COLLISIONS; AND 23
171	171
172	172	(IV) THE INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY THAT INITIATED THE 24
173	173	VEHICLE’S DISENGAGEMENT , INCLUDING THE VEHICL E’S AUTONOMOUS 25
174	174	TECHNOLOGY , A HUMAN SAFETY OPERATO R, A REMOTE OPERATOR , OR A 26
175	175	PASSENGER. 27
176	176
177	177	(2) AN INCIDENT REPORT SU BMITTED UNDER PARAGR APH (1) OF 28
178	178	THIS SUBSECTION SHAL L BE WRITTEN IN PLAI N LANGUAGE WITH ENOUGH DETA IL 29
179	179	THAT A NONTECHNICAL PERSON CAN UNDERSTAN D THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT 30
180	180	CAUSED THE DISENGAGEMENT . 31
181	181	HOUSE BILL 439 5
182	182
183	183
184	184	(E) (1) AN INCIDENT REPORT SU BMITTED UNDER SUBSEC TION (A) OF 1
185	185	THIS SECTION RELATED TO ASSAULT OR HARASS MENT, INCLUDING SEXUAL 2
186	186	HARASSMENT , SHALL INCLUDE A DETA ILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT , 3
187	187	INCLUDING THE NATURE OF THE ASSAULT OR HA RASSMENT, THE APPROXIMATE 4
188	188	AGES AND GENDER IDENTITIES OF THE PARTIES TO TH E INCIDENT, HOW THE 5
189	189	MANUFACTURER ADDRESS ED THE INCIDENT , AND ANY CHANGES TO P OLICY OR 6
190	190	PROTOCOL THAT THE MANUFACTURER INTENDS TO MAKE IN R ESPONSE TO THE 7
191	191	INCIDENT. 8
192	192
193	193	(2) AN INCIDENT REPORT SU BMITTED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF 9
194	194	THIS SUBSECTION SHAL L BE MADE WITHOUT CO MPROMISING THE PRIVA CY AND 10
195	195	IDENTITY OF THE INDI VIDUALS INVOLVED . 11
196	196
197	197	(F) THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL: 12
198	198
199	199	(1) ADOPT REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING : 13
200	200
201	201	(I) A TIMELINE FOR THE SUB MISSION OF INCIDENT REPORTS 14
202	202	UNDER THIS SECTION T HAT IS CONSISTENT WITH REPORTING DEADLINES 15
203	203	ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION ; 16
204	204	AND 17
205	205
206	206	(II) FINES FOR THE FAILURE TO S UBMIT A REPORT AS 18
207	207	REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION AND THE SUBM ISSION OF A FALSE RE PORT, 19
208	208	INCLUDING INCREASED FINES FOR SUBSEQUENT VIOLA TIONS; 20
209	209
210	210	(2) CREATE AND PUBLISH AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE I NCIDENT 21
211	211	REPORT FORM FOR THE REPORTING OF INCIDENTS UNDER SUBS ECTIONS (B) 22
212	212	THROUGH (E) OF THIS SECTION; 23
213	213
214	214	(3) CREATE AND PUBLISH A FORM TO COLLECT DA TA FOR 24
215	215	AGGREGATE ANALYSIS O F AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SAFETY; AND 25
216	216
217	217	(4) PUBLISH ANONYMIZED VE RSIONS OF ALL REPORT S SUBMITTED 26
218	218	UNDER SUBSECTIONS (B) THROUGH (E) OF THIS SECTION ON T HE DEPARTMENT ’S 27
219	219	WEBSITE WITHIN 30 DAYS OF RECEIPT. 28
220	220
221	221	18.3–103. 29
222	222
223	223	A FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE WITH A GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 10,001 30
224	224	POUNDS OR MORE MAY NOT BE OPERATED ON HIGHWAYS FOR TESTING OR 31
225	225	TRANSPORTING GOODS O R PASSENGERS UNLESS A HUMAN SAFETY OPERA TOR IS 32
226	226	FULLY PRESENT IN THE FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF OPERATION . 33 6 HOUSE BILL 439
227	227
228	228
229	229
230	230	18.3–104. 1
231	231
232	232	A MANUFACTURER WHOSE F ULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHI CLE WITH A GROSS 2
233	233	VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 10,001 POUNDS OR MORE IS IN VOLVED IN A COLLISIO N 3
234	234	ORIGINATING FROM THE OPERATION OF THE FUL LY AUTONOMOUS VEHICL E ON A 4
235	235	HIGHWAY THAT RESULTED IN PROPERTY DAMAGE, BODILY INJURY , OR DEATH 5
236	236	SHALL REPORT THE COL LISION TO THE ADMINISTRATION WITHIN 10 DAYS AFTER 6
237	237	THE COLLISION ON A FORM SPECIFIED BY THE ADMINISTRATION . 7
238	238
239	239	18.3–105. 8
240	240
241	241	(A) BEGINNING ON DECEMBER 1, 2025, AND EACH DECEMBER 1 9
242	242	THEREAFTER , A MANUFACTURER OF A FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEH ICLE WITH A GROSS 10
243	243	VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 10,001 POUNDS OR MORE SHALL SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT 11
244	244	TO THE ADMINISTRATION ON DISENGAGEMENT EVENTS OCCURRING TO THESE 12
245	245	VEHICLES WHEN IN FULLY AUTONO MOUS MODE IN THE STATE IN THE PRECEDIN G 13
246	246	YEAR. 14
247	247
248	248	(B) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 15
249	249	SHALL SUMMARIZE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OR CON DITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE 16
250	250	DISENGAGEMENT , INCLUDING: 17
251	251
252	252	(1) THE LOCATION OF T HE DISENGAGEMENT ; 18
253	253
254	254	(2) WHETHER THE VEHICLE W AS OPERATING WITH OR WITHOUT A 19
255	255	HUMAN SAFETY OPERATO R AT THE TIME OF THE D ISENGAGEMENT ; 20
256	256
257	257	(3) A DESCRIPTION OF THE CAUSE OF THE DISENGAGEMENT , 21
258	258	INCLUDING: 22
259	259
260	260	(I) WEATHER CONDITIONS ; 23
261	261
262	262	(II) ROAD SURFACE CONDITIO NS; 24
263	263
264	264	(III) TRAFFIC CONDITIONS; 25
265	265
266	266	(IV) EMERGENCY CONDITIONS ; AND 26
267	267
268	268	(V) WHETHER THERE WAS A C OLLISION; AND 27
269	269
270	270	(4) WHETHER THE DISENGAGE MENT WAS INITIATED B Y: 28
271	271	HOUSE BILL 439 7
272	272
273	273
274	274	(I) THE AUTONOMOUS TECHNO LOGY; 1
275	275
276	276	(II) THE HUMAN SAFETY OPER ATOR; 2
277	277
278	278	(III) A REMOTE OPERATOR ; OR 3
279	279
280	280	(IV) A PASSENGER. 4
281	281
282	282	18.3–106. 5
283	283
284	284	ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2030, THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL REPORT TO 6
285	285	THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 7
286	286	GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON THE IMPACT OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WITH A GROSS 8
287	287	VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 10,001 POUNDS OR MORE , INCLUDING: 9
288	288
289	289	(1) A SUMMARY OF DISENGAGE MENTS AND CRASHES ; 10
290	290
291	291	(2) IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION 11
292	292	AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE, INFORMATION ON TRAFF IC CONGESTION 12
293	293	IMPACTS, DRIVER AND PASSENGER SAFETY RISKS , AND IMPACTS ON OTHER 13
294	294	MOTORISTS, BICYCLISTS, AND PEDESTRIANS ; 14
295	295
296	296	(3) IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DIVISION OF LABOR AND INDUSTRY, 15
297	297	ANY JOB –RELATED IMPACTS , INCLUDING WORKER DIS PLACEMENT AND 16
298	298	SHORTCOMINGS IN RETRAINING OPPORTUNI TIES; 17
299	299
300	300	(4) IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION , 18
301	301	INFRASTRUCTURE IMPAC TS, DEFICIENCIES, AND NEEDS; 19
302	302
303	303	(5) AN OVERVIEW OF THE PE RFORMANCE OF THE TEC HNOLOGY, 20
304	304	PUBLIC SAFETY IMPACT S, AND OTHER RELEVANT F ACTORS IN CONSIDERING 21
305	305	DEPLOYMENT OF AUTONO MOUS DRIVING TECHNOL OGY; AND 22
306	306
307	307	(6) A RECOMMENDATION ON WH ETHER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 23
308	308	SHOULD REMOVE , MODIFY, OR MAINTAIN THE REQU IREMENT FOR AN AUTON OMOUS 24
309	309	VEHICLE WITH A GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 10,001 POUNDS OR MORE TO OP ERATE 25
310	310	WITH A HUMAN SAFETY OPERATO R PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE. 26
311	311
312	312	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
313	313	October 1, 2025. 28