Child Support - Adjusted Actual Income - Definition
Summary
HB1144 creates a new statutory framework for excluding certain individuals from Maryland public transit services and stations after alleged assaults or other intentional acts causing bodily injury. Under the bill, a person alleged by a public transit operator to have assaulted an operator or passenger, or to have committed another intentional act causing bodily injury while on transit property, may be barred from boarding or entering state public transit services and stations for a minimum period that escalates with repeat incidents or use of a weapon. The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is directed to adopt regulations to implement the exclusion process, including guidelines and an appeals process.
The bill also requires the MTA to convene a workgroup with WMATA, the Joint Safety Committee, and operator union representatives to develop a rider code of conduct and a comprehensive internal safety program. That workgroup must recommend safety protocols, consequences for violations, and an appeals process, and it must report to the legislature by October 1, 2025. The bill includes a special accommodation for individuals whose alleged assault was directly related to a disability, allowing transit use when accompanied by an appropriate caregiver under standards set by the workgroup.
Impact
HB1144 adds new Transportation Article § 7-705.1 and changes Maryland transit law by authorizing temporary or permanent transit bans based on alleged assaultive conduct, without requiring a criminal conviction. It also subjects violators to trespass prosecution and preserves other state-law enforcement options. The bill places new regulatory duties on the Secretary of Transportation and the MTA, and it creates a temporary legislative framework that can be abrogated if the MTA adopts the required rider code of conduct and internal safety program.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad legislative support, passing both chambers unanimously in recorded floor votes. The structure of the bill suggests a strong policy emphasis on transit safety, operator protection, and passenger security, while also incorporating procedural safeguards such as an appeals process and a disability-related accommodation. The absence of recorded opposition in the vote history indicates general agreement on the need for stronger transit safety measures.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are the use of alleged conduct rather than a criminal conviction as the basis for exclusion, the length and severity of bans for repeat or weapon-related incidents, and the discretion given to the Secretary or designee to increase or reduce exclusion periods. Another sensitive issue is balancing safety enforcement with access for riders whose conduct may be tied to a disability; the bill addresses this by allowing use with a caregiver under workgroup standards. Transit labor representatives, WMATA, and safety committees are explicitly included in the implementation workgroup, indicating that operator safety and rider rights were likely central concerns.