Bill would let Montgomery County and Baltimore City pilot stop‑sign monitoring cameras in school zones

House Bill 10-32 would permit five-year pilot programs for stop-sign monitoring cameras in school zones in Montgomery County and Baltimore City, expanding on a pilot already authorized in Prince George’s County.

Delegate Lorig Charkuttian presented the bill as a combined delegation measure; he said the state authorized a Prince George’s County pilot last year and both the Montgomery County and Baltimore City delegations want the ability to run similar five-year pilots in their jurisdictions to address pedestrian safety at stop-sign intersections near schools.

Committee members asked about the civil penalty associated with a stop-sign camera citation (a $40 penalty was identified in committee discussion) and whether letters of support from the local delegations to the senate delegations had been received. Charkuttian said the Montgomery County and Baltimore City House delegations supported the measure in the House and that the Montgomery County Senate delegation had not yet voted on the request; he cautioned he could not speak for Baltimore City’s senate delegation about the precise districts that would participate.

Sponsor testimony emphasized pedestrian safety statistics and that the pilots would be limited to school zones identified in local safety plans and would be coordinated with the State Highway Administration. There were no recorded votes or formal amendments in the hearing excerpt; the committee concluded the brief Q&A and closed the hearing.

The bill leaves fee amounts consistent with other camera enforcement programs and anticipates further letters from local delegations clarifying the specific districts or intersections they wish to include in the pilot.