HB 668 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

St. Mary's County - Prohibition on Standing in Inherently Dangerous Highway

HB 668 prohibits people from standing in roadways, shoulders, median dividers, or intersections in St. Mary’s County that are officially designated as "inherently dangerous" (meaning they pose a serious, unmitigable injury risk to pedestrians or drivers). It specifically requires county or municipal authorities to identify such locations and install required warning signs meeting state traffic control standards before police can issue citations for violations. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies only to St. Mary’s County. It does not create new penalties but limits enforcement to areas with proper signage.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 2, 2026 Signed May 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - St. Mary's County - Prohibition on Standing in Inherently Dangerous Highway Third - St. Mary's County - Prohibition on Standing in Inherently Dangerous Highway · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to clarify that 'inherently dangerous' locations must be designated in specific manners and to add strict new requirements for law enforcement citations. Police officers can no longer issue tickets for standing in these areas unless proper warning signs are installed according to state standards, and county officials must consult the State Highway Administration before designating state roads as inherently dangerous.
Scope change
The scope of enforcement was narrowed significantly by adding a prerequisite that appropriate signage must be installed before any citations can be issued.
DEFINITION

Added the phrase 'in certain manners' to the definition of how locations are determined to be inherently dangerous, implying a more formal or specific designation process is required.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection requiring that appropriate signs notifying the public of the prohibition must be installed before the law applies to that location.

Added a requirement that these signs must be installed in accordance with the State Highway Administration's manual for uniform traffic control devices.

Added a new rule stating that counties or municipalities must obtain approval from the State Highway Administration before installing required signs on state highways.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified enforcement rules to prohibit police officers from issuing citations unless the specific signage conditions are met.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
9
Committee
6
May 12, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 587
executive
Apr 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Returned Passed
lower
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Adopted
upper
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Committee
Referred Judicial Proceedings
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Mar 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Mar 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation
lower
Mar 5, 2026
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (132-1-9)
house of delegates
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
First Reading Environment and Transportation
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.