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Committee reviews two measures aimed at out-of-state vehicle registration and automated-enforcement data
Summary
Delegates presented bills to identify out-of-state registrations used to avoid Maryland fees and to collect uniform data on unpaid automated enforcement citations; sponsors said the measures would protect revenue and inform future enforcement steps, while members asked about enforcement mechanisms and data burdens.
The Judicial Proceedings Committee heard testimony on two related motor-vehicle measures on March 27: House Bill 219, addressing Maryland residents who improperly register vehicles out of state, and House Bill 915, which would require local jurisdictions to report quarterly on automated-enforcement citations issued to out‑of‑state drivers.
House Bill 219 sponsor Delegate Jackie T. Anderson described the measure as "simple," saying it would create a clear process to identify vehicles owned by Maryland residents but registered elsewhere and provide mechanisms for towing and removal when necessary. Anderson called improper out‑of‑state registration a revenue problem that shifts costs to compliant Maryland drivers and deprives state and local governments of fees that fund transportation and public safety.
Delegate Linda Foley presented House Bill 915, the "Out‑of‑State Driver Accountability Act," which would require counties and municipalities that deploy automated-enforcement systems to report quarterly on out-of-state citations and payment status. Foley said the Washington, D.C. "STEER" law inspired her bill and emphasized that, unlike the D.C. model, Maryland's House floor amended the bill to remove an immediate enforcement mechanism; HB 915 as presented focuses on data collection to inform later decisions about targeted enforcement.
Foley cited investigative reporting on I‑83 and work‑zone camera programs showing high numbers of automated citations and significant unpaid counts among out‑of‑state drivers; she told the committee that the bill would help policymakers determine which out‑of‑state drivers create the largest share of unpaid citations and whether targeted enforcement or interstate cooperation is warranted.
Committee members asked how local law enforcement identifies out‑of‑state tags (traffic stops versus automated plate readers), how aggregated reporting would be collated across hundreds of jurisdictions and whether a study period or sunset should be specified. Sponsor Foley said the bill does not set a finite study window but that legislators expect to review the collected data next year to consider whether to add enforcement tools later.
No formal committee action was taken at the hearing; sponsors said the bills are intended as initial steps to gather data and close known revenue and compliance gaps.
