Maryland 2025 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB618 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/29/2025

                     
 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDE D TO EXISTING LAW . 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
          *sb0618*  
  
SENATE BILL 618 
R4   	5lr1595 
      
By: Senator Smith 
Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2025 
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings 
 
A BILL ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Vehicle Laws – Licenses, Identification Cards, and Moped Operator’s Permits  2 
– Notation of Nonapparent Disability 3 
 
FOR the purpose of requiring that certain applications for a license, an identification card, 4 
or a moped operator’s permit allow an applicant to choose to indicate on the 5 
document the applicant’s nonapparent disability; requiring the Motor Vehicle 6 
Administration to ensure that the license, identification card, or moped operator’s 7 
permit of an applicant who indicates that the applicant has a nonapparent disability 8 
includes a certain notation; requiring the Administration to establish certain public 9 
outreach efforts on the availability of the notation; prohibiting the Administration 10 
from disclosing certain information to certain entities about an applicant that 11 
indicates that the applicant has a nonapparent disability; and generally relating to 12 
nonapparent disability notations on licenses, identification cards, and moped 13 
operator’s permits. 14 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15 
 Article – Transportation 16 
Section 11–128 and 11–135 17 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 18 
 (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19 
 
BY adding to 20 
 Article – Transportation 21 
Section 12–306 22 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 23 
 (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 24 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 25 
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 26 
 
Article – Transportation 27  2 	SENATE BILL 618  
 
 
 
11–128. 1 
 
 (a) “License”, as used in reference to the operation of a motor vehicle, means any: 2 
 
 (1) Driver’s license; and 3 
 
 (2) Any other license or permit to drive a motor vehicle that is issued under 4 
or granted by the laws of this State, including: 5 
 
 (i) Any temporary license; 6 
 
 (ii) A learner’s instructional permit; 7 
 
 (iii) A provisional license; 8 
 
 (iv) The privilege of any individual to drive a motor vehicle, whether 9 
or not that individual is formally licensed by this or any other jurisdiction; 10 
 
 (v) Any nonresident’s privilege to drive, as defined in this subtitle; 11 
and 12 
 
 (vi) A commercial driver’s license. 13 
 
 (b) “License” does not include an electronic credential issued under Title 16, 14 
Subtitle 10 of this article. 15 
 
11–135. 16 
 
 (a) (1) “Motor vehicle” means, except as provided in subsection (b) of this 17 
section, a vehicle that: 18 
 
 (i) Is self–propelled or propelled by electric power obtained from 19 
overhead electrical wires; and 20 
 
 (ii) Is not operated on rails. 21 
 
 (2) “Motor vehicle” includes a low speed vehicle. 22 
 
 (b) “Motor vehicle” does not include: 23 
 
 (1) A moped, as defined in § 11–134.1 of this subtitle; 24 
 
 (2) A motor scooter, as defined in § 11–134.5 of this subtitle; 25 
 
 (3) An electric bicycle, as defined in § 11–117.1 of this subtitle; 26 
   	SENATE BILL 618 	3 
 
 
 (4) An electric low speed scooter, as defined in § 11–117.2 of this subtitle; 1 
or 2 
 
 (5) A personal delivery device, as defined in § 21–104.5 of this article. 3 
 
12–306. 4 
 
 (A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “NONAPPARENT DISABILI TY” MEANS A 5 
DISABILITY OR HEALTH CONDITION THAT IS NO T IMMEDIATELY OBVIOU S OR 6 
VISIBLE. 7 
 
 (2) “NONAPPARENT DISABILIT Y” INCLUDES: 8 
 
 (I) DEVELOPMENTAL DISABIL ITIES; AND 9 
 
 (II) INTELLECTUAL DISABILI TIES. 10 
 
 (B) AN INITIAL AND A RENE WAL APPLICATION FOR A LICENSE, AN 11 
IDENTIFICATION CARD , OR A MOPED OPERATOR ’S PERMIT SHALL ALLOW AN 12 
APPLICANT TO CHOOSE TO INDICATE ON THE D OCUMENT THAT THE APPLICANT HAS 13 
A NONAPPARENT DISABI LITY. 14 
 
 (C) THE ADMINISTRATION SHALL : 15 
 
 (1) ENSURE THAT THE LICEN SE, IDENTIFICATION CARD , OR MOPED 16 
OPERATOR’S PERMIT OF AN APPLI CANT WHO HAS INDICAT ED A NONAPPARENT 17 
DISABILITY ON AN APP LICATION INCLUDES A NOTATION OF THE NONA PPARENT 18 
DISABILITY ON THE BO TTOM OF THE LICENSE , IDENTIFICATION CARD , OR MOPED 19 
OPERATOR’S PERMIT; 20 
 
 (2) CONSULT WITH DEVELOPM	ENTAL DISABILITY AND 21 
INTELLECTUAL DISABIL ITY ADVOCACY GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO THE DESIGN OF 22 
THE NONAPPARENT DISA BILITY NOTATION ; 23 
 
 (3) NOTIFY AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A NONAPPARENT D ISABILITY 24 
NOTATION ON A LICENS E, IDENTIFICATION CARD , OR MOPED OPERATOR ’S PERMIT 25 
THAT TURNS 18 YEARS OF AGE THAT TH E INDIVIDUAL MAY REQ UEST THAT THE 26 
NONAPPARENT DISABILI TY NOTATION BE REMOV ED; AND 27 
 
 (4) ESTABLISH PUBLIC OUTR EACH EFFORTS TO EDUC ATE THE 28 
GENERAL PUBLIC ON TH E AVAILABILITY OF TH E NONAPPARENT DISABI LITY 29 
NOTATION. 30 
  4 	SENATE BILL 618  
 
 
 (D) THERE IS NO FEE FOR A NONAPPARENT DISABILI TY NOTATION ON A 1 
LICENSE, IDENTIFICATION CARD , OR MOPED OPERATOR ’S PERMIT, INCLUDING FOR 2 
THE ISSUANCE OF A CO RRECTED DOCUMENT IF NO OTHER CORRECTIONS ARE MADE. 3 
 
 (E) THE ADMINISTRATION MAY NO T: 4 
 
 (1) REQUIRE AN APPLICANT FOR A LICENSE , AN IDENTIFICATION 5 
CARD, OR A MOPED OPERATOR ’S PERMIT TO PROVIDE PROOF OF THE APPLICA NT’S 6 
NONAPPARENT DI SABILITY; 7 
 
 (2) DENY AN APPLICATION F OR A LICENSE , AN IDENTIFICATION 8 
CARD, OR A MOPED OPERATOR ’S PERMIT BECAUSE THE NONAPPARENT DISABILI TY 9 
SELECTED BY THE APPL ICANT DOES NOT MATCH THE NONAPPARENT DISA BILITY 10 
INDICATED ON ANOTHER DOCUMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPLICANT; 11 
 
 (3) NOTWITHSTANDING § 4–320 OF THE GENERAL PROVISIONS 12 
ARTICLE, DISCLOSE INFORMATION RELATED TO AN APPLIC ANT’S INDICATION OF A 13 
NONAPPARENT DISABILI TY ON AN APPLICATION FOR A LICENSE , AN 14 
IDENTIFICATION CARD , OR A MOPED OPERATOR ’S PERMIT FOR A NY USE IN 15 
RESPONSE TO A REQUES T FROM AN INSURANCE COMPANY OR THE MARYLAND 16 
INSURANCE ADMINISTRATION ; OR 17 
 
 (4) USE INFORMATION DISCL OSED BY A PERSON UND ER THIS 18 
SECTION AS A BASIS F OR REFERRING THE PER SON TO THE MEDICAL ADVISORY 19 
BOARD UNDER § 16–118 OF THIS ARTICLE. 20 
 
 (F) THE MARYLAND POLICE TRAINING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION, IN 21 
CONSULTATION WITH TH E DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE AND OTHER 22 
INTERESTED STAKEHOLD ERS, SHALL IMPLEMENT TRAINING CONCERNING 23 
INTERACTIONS WITH IN DIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A NONAPPARENT DISABILI TY 24 
NOTATION ON THEIR LI CENSE, IDENTIFICATION CARD , OR MOPED OPERATOR ’S 25 
PERMIT. 26 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27 
October 1, 2025. 28