URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT (UPDATE)
Maryland Legislation Fails to Meet Deadline for Passage
Several bills introduced in Maryland in 2014 and of interest to state vehicle hobbyists failed to meet the crossover deadline and therefore are dead for the year.
- Legislation (H.B. 1290) to increase the age requirement for vehicles eligible for registration as “historic motor vehicles” was not approved by the House Environmental Matters Committee. Under the bill, the age requirement would have been raised from 20 to at least 25 years old, require that an historic vehicle be insured by an historic vehicle, show vehicle or antique insurance policy and require that the owner have a “daily driver” vehicle registered in Maryland. The SEMA Action Network (SAN) attempted to reach a fair compromise by working with the bill’s sponsor.
- Legislation (S.B. 629) authorizing a county or municipality to impose an annual surcharge for the registration of a motor vehicle was not approved by the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. The bill provided for a surcharge up to $20 per year and requires that revenue from the surcharge be used for transportation development purposes.
- Legislation (H.B. 77) to require the issuance of only a single license plate for Class L Historic Vehicles and Class N Street Rods was not approved by the House Environmental Matters Committee.
- Legislation (H.B. 327) to require the issuance of only a single license plate for all motor vehicles was not approved by the House Environmental Matters Committee.
Thank you to those who voiced their support or opposition to these bills.