2026 Legislative Recap

By Bike Maryland - April 20, 2026

Bills that passed both chambers (sent to the Governor)

These bills passed both the House and Senate and now go to the governor for approval or veto.   The Ignition Interlock bill has already received governor approval.

Intelligent Speed Assistance (HB107 / SB366)
Creates an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) pilot program targeting high-risk drivers. ISA technology helps drivers stay within posted speed limits. Under this bill, drivers with serious speeding or reckless driving violations would be required to install the technology in their vehicles, similar to ignition interlock devices for repeat DUI drivers — improving road safety for everyone.

The bill passed both the House of Delegates and Senate with amendments. A conference committee was convened to reach consensus on the legislation. The amendments proposed in the conference committee report were adopted, with the bill passing the House of Delegates 99-31 and the Senate 38-9.

Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Protection Act of 2026 (HB256 / SB487) 
Allows speed camera enforcement in safety corridors — state road segments identified by MDOT SHA as an area of high risk to VRUs in a VRU safety assessment prepared pursuant to federal law.  MDOT initiated this bill.  

The House of Delegates passed the amended bill 98-34. It passed the Senate 31-11.

The Honorable Anne Healey Pedestrian Safety Act of 2026 (HB1504)
The bill requires the State Highway Administration (SHA) to prioritize funding for sidewalk and bicycle pathway construction in areas subject to Complete Streets policies or Vision Zero programs. Local governments must formally request such funding through their annual priority letter to MDOT.

The House passed it with amendments 136-0. The Senate passed the bill 44-0.

Ignition Interlock Device placement (HB286 / SB38) 
Allows drivers 21 and older who violate an alcohol restriction on their license to enroll in the Ignition Interlock System Program (IISP) without appearing before an administrative law judge. Currently, this option is only available to drivers under 21.

The House of Delegates passed the bill 133-1. The Senate passed the bill 39-0.  The bill was approved by the governor April 14.

Vehicle Laws – Out-of-State Vehicles – Improper Registration (HB212 / SB111)
Authorizes stricter enforcement against Maryland residents who register their vehicles in other states. It gives the MVA and local jurisdictions the authority to confiscate out-of-state or fake license plates from residents who aren’t in compliance, and establishes a process to warn and fine owners of improperly registered vehicles. Owners who don’t come into compliance within 120 days could have their vehicle booted or impounded. It also permits the MVA Administrator to enter into agreements with other jurisdictions for reciprocal enforcement of traffic camera and speed monitoring violations. It bans title service agents from helping Maryland residents obtain out-of-state registrations.

This law will help the State of Maryland to collect on the millions of dollars worth of tickets issued to out of state drivers but not paid by those drivers.  The DC government has used such a law to collect millions of dollars in outstanding fines in the first year this has been the law in DC.

The Senate passed the bill 45-0. The House passed it with amendments 117-20. The Senate passed the bill, with the House amendments, 46-0.

Local Bill: Stop Sign Monitoring Systems – Rockville/Gaithersburg (HB601)
Authorizes stop sign monitoring systems in school zones in the City of Gaithersburg and the City of Rockville.

The House of Delegates passed the bill 95-28. The Senate passed the bill 32-11.

Bills that passed either House or Senate, but not both

We will work off-session to refine and support these bills in preparation for the 2027 session.

Bicyclist Safety Start: Bicyclists may proceed on walk signal (HB177 / SB155) 
This bill allows people on bikes to proceed on the WALK signal, including during a leading pedestrian interval (LPI). This makes bike crossings more visible and reduces conflicts with turning drivers at intersections where many crashes occur.

LPIs give pedestrians a 4–7 second head start before vehicles receive a green light. Research shows they increase driver yielding rates and reduce pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. MDOT SHA and several local jurisdictions are already deploying LPIs as part of their pedestrian safety initiatives. LPIs are included in MDOT SHA’s toolkit of proven traffic safety measures.

The House of Delegates passed the bill 134-0 and was referred to the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee (JPR), but did not receive a committee vote.  The Senate crossfile SB155 was heard in JPR but never got a committee vote.

No stopping, standing, or parking in a bike lane (HB1381) 
This common-sense bill would add bike lanes to the list of locations where stopping, standing, or parking a motor vehicle is prohibited.

The bill passed the House 117–19 with amendments. We worked with the bill’s sponsor to narrow a concerning exception that would have allowed drivers to stop, stand, or park in bike lanes to pick up or deliver goods — limiting the exception to localities where local law expressly permits such behavior. However, a subsequent amendment introduced an overly broad exception for construction and maintenance vehicles, which would have undermined the bill’s core purpose and existing law in Baltimore City. 

The amended bill was referred to and heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, but did not receive a committee vote.

Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2026 (HB437 / SB59)
Improves transportation planning to give Marylanders more, affordable options to travel. Requires highway expansion projects over $100 million to offset increased emissions and vehicle miles traveled through investments in transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, transit-oriented development, and solar energy.

The House of Delegates passed the bill with amendments 93-39. The Senate Budget & Taxation Committee reported the bill favorable with additional amendments, but the Senate did not pass the bill before the session ended.

Speed Monitoring Systems – Residential Districts (HB55 / SB45) 
Allows speed camera enforcement on streets with speed limits of 35mph or less in residential areas throughout Maryland. This is already allowed in Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties. 

The House of Delegates passed the bill 98–35. It was then referred to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee (JPR), which reported it favorably on the final day of the session. The bill passed second reading in the Senate before the session ended.

Local Bill: Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties – Crosswalk Monitoring Systems (HB938)
This bill authorizes crosswalk monitoring systems in Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties and municipalities in those counties if authorized by local law. It requires that the fines collected be used to improve safety at crosswalks by funding the implementation of infrastructure enhancements.

The House of Delegates passed the amended bill 105-31. The bill was referred to the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee (JPR) late in session, but did not receive a committee vote.

Bills that did not pass either House or Senate

Contributory Negligence Reform for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) (HB466) 
Maryland is one of only four states and D.C. that follows the legal doctrine of contributory negligence. Under this doctrine, an injured person who is found partially at fault for their own injury cannot recover any civil damages from the other party, no matter how negligent that other party was. For example: Imagine a driver is found 99% at fault for a crash that injured a bicyclist. If the bicyclist is found just 1% at fault, contributory negligence bars them from recovering any compensation from the driver at all.

This bill would create an exception for vulnerable road users (similar to a law passed in DC in 2016)  — such as cyclists and pedestrians — who are injured by a negligent driver. Rather than being completely barred from compensation, an injured VRU’s recovery would simply be reduced in proportion to their share of fault. Under the same example, a VRU found 1% at fault, could still recover 99% of their damages.

After the House Judiciary Committee hearing, the committee referred it for interim study by the Maryland Insurance Administration. 

Other Bills that we Supported

Construction of Sidewalks & Crosswalks – Safe Alternative Routes to Public Schools (HB394 / SB158)
It requires school districts to evaluate and publish safe walking routes for students who do not receive bus service, and directs local governments to build missing sidewalks and crosswalks.

This bill did not get a vote in either the House or Senate Committees.

Urban Core & Urban Center – No Turn on Red (HB381) 
Requires MDOT SHA to prohibit right turns on red at intersections of state roads in urban cores and centers. This safety measure reduces injury crashes by 38%. The bill should be changed to prohibit left turns on red onto one-way streets and ensure the safety analysis process is transparent & in collaboration with localities. 

The bill was withdrawn by the sponsor. MDOT SHA will continue to implement no turn on red as part of its context driven safety countermeasures

Dangerous Driver Accountability Act (HB8)
Establishes the Dangerous Driver Abatement Program requiring education or sanctions for repeat offenders.

Transportation Investment Priorities Act of 2026 (HB230 / SB62) 
This bill would update MDOT’s process for prioritizing projects, increasing transparency, and reflecting Maryland’s commitment to Complete Streets, Vision Zero, and a safe, multimodal transportation network.

Automated Enforcement Reciprocity (HB249 / SB173) 
Allows the MVA to enter reciprocal agreements with other states to enforce automated citations, targeting repeat offenders who speed and run red lights across jurisdictions. The bill advances Maryland’s Vision Zero goals by strengthening enforcement of speeding and other unsafe driving such as running red lights. 

This bill was not allowed to proceed due to the duplication in SB111/HB212, which passed and went to the Governor for signature.

Bills that we Opposed

Task Force to Study Pedestrian and Bicyclist Injuries and Fatalities (HB1421)
The bill would establish the Task Force to Study Pedestrian and Bicyclist Injuries and Fatalities to “study and make recommendations on pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities, actions pedestrians and bicyclists can take to reduce their own negligence, and priorities and needs for making roadways safe for pedestrians and bicyclists.”    

The bill disproportionately placed responsibility on victims and is redundant with a variety of MDOT VRU safety programs already in place.

Pass Pedestrians Safely Act (HB1567) 
This bill would require people riding bikes, motor scooters, or EPAMDs to provide an audible warning when passing pedestrians. A prior version included an impractical and problematic requirement for people on bicycles to pass pedestrians and vehicles (including other bicycles) with at least 3 feet.  

The 3 ft. passing requirement is physically impossible in many places and imposes greater risks.  We are not aware of any state with a passing distance requirement for cyclists who, like drivers, are already required to avoid collisions with pedestrians.

Workgroup to Study State Laws on Electric Bicycles (SB743)
This bill would establish a workgroup to review Maryland’s current e-bike laws and recommend safety improvements, examine research and government data on injury and safety trends for e-bike riders, other drivers, and pedestrians, and assess the broader public safety implications of other micro-mobility devices such as scooters.

The bill did not address the greater risks of e-motos and the recommended study group members excluded important constituent groups.  It is also redundant with a micromobility safety program underway at MDOT.