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Sponsor seeks ban from transit system for people who assault operators; unions and transit workers urge swift passage
Summary
House Bill 1144 would empower Maryland transit agencies to exclude individuals who commit assault or bodily harm against transit operators or passengers from using public transit for set periods (30 days for a first offense, 180 days for a second, lifetime for a third). The bill drew testimony from transit unions, operators with on‑the‑record abuse
Delegate Jackie T. Addison presented House Bill 1144 on Feb. 20, proposing that individuals who commit assault or inflict bodily injury against transit operators or passengers be barred from public transit services and stations for graduated periods (30 days for a first offense, 180 days for a second offense, and a lifetime ban for a third offense or for assaults involving a weapon).
Union leaders from SMART Transportation Division, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300 and AFSCME testified in favor, saying repeated offenders sometimes reappear on trains and buses shortly after assaulting operators and that the policy would…
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