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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1242*
HOUSE BILL 1242
R2, O3 6lr3316
CF SB 786
By: Delegate Allen
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Transportation of Persons With Disabilities – Transportation Network 2
Companies – Requirements 3
FOR the purpose of exempting transportation network companies under contract with the 4
Maryland Transit Administration t hat facilitate transit service to persons with 5
disabilities through transportation network operators from certain requirements 6
relating to a criminal history records check and a required course for employees; 7
requiring transportation network companies under contract with the Administration 8
that facilitate transit service to persons with disabilities to conduct a certain annual 9
background screening of each transportation network operator providing transit 10
service to persons with disabilities through the tra nsportation network company; 11
and generally relating to requirements for transportation network companies 12
facilitating transit service to persons with disabilities. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – Public Utilities 15
Section 10–101(l) and (m) and 10–404(b) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – Transportation 20
Section 7–102.1(e) 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 23
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 24
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 25
Article – Public Utilities 26
2 HOUSE BILL 1242
10–101. 1
(l) “Transportation network company” means a company that operates in the 2
State using a digital network to connect passengers to transportation network operators or 3
transportation network partners for transportation network services. 4
(m) “Transportation network operator”, “transportation network partner”, or 5
“transportation network driver” means an individual who: 6
(1) has been issued a transportation network operator’s license, or is 7
otherwise authorized, by the Commission to provide transportation network services; 8
(2) receives, through a transportation network company’s digital network 9
application, a connection to a potential passenger to transport the passenger between 10
points chosen by the passenger in exchange for the payment of a fee to the transportation 11
network company; and 12
(3) uses a motor vehicle that is owned, leased, or other wise authorized for 13
use by the individual and is approved for use in providing transportation network services 14
by the Commission. 15
10–404. 16
(b) The Commission may approve an applicant to be an operator and issue a 17
temporary transportation network operator’s license to the applicant if: 18
(1) the applicant provides all information that the Commission requires for 19
the application, including the information specified in item (2) of this subsection; and 20
(2) the Commission is satisfied with the successful s ubmission of the 21
applicant’s: 22
(i) national criminal history records check: 23
1. conducted by a consumer reporting agency as defined 24
under § 14 –1201 of the Commercial Law Article or a comparable entity approved by the 25
Commission; and 26
2. that includes: 27
A. a Multi –State Multi –Jurisdiction Criminal Records 28
Database Search or a search of a similar nationwide database with validation; 29
B. a search of the Sex Offender Registry; and 30
C. a search of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Sex 31
Offender Public Website; and 32
HOUSE BILL 1242 3
(ii) driving record check that includes a driving history research 1
report. 2
Article – Transportation 3
7–102.1. 4
(e) (1) The public interest requires the development of an effective and 5
efficient transit service to meet the special needs of elderly [and handicapped] persons AND 6
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. 7
(2) When providing transit service to meet the special needs of [disabled] 8
persons WITH DISABILITIES, the Administration shall: 9
(i) Apply to the Criminal Justice Information System Central 10
Repository of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, in accordance 11
with paragraph (3) of this subsection, for State and national criminal history records checks 12
of the Administration’s employees who are or will be employed to provide transit service to 13
[disabled] persons WITH DISABILITIES; 14
(ii) Ensure that any entity that contracts with the Administration to 15
provide transit service to [disabled] persons WITH DISABILITIES applies to the Criminal 16
Justice Information System Central Repository of the Department of Public Safety and 17
Correctional Services, in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection, for State and 18
national criminal history records checks of the contractor’s employees who provide transit 19
service to [disabled] persons WITH DISABILITIES; and 20
(iii) Ensure that all employees of the Administration or a contractor 21
of the Administration who are or will be employed to provide transit service to [disabled] 22
persons WITH DISABILITIES successfully complete a course, jointly developed by the State 23
Department o f Education and the Department of Disabilities and approved by the 24
Administration, on matters relating to appropriate accommodation, including customer 25
service, sensitivity, and respectful and courteous treatment of all passengers, including 26
[disabled] persons WITH DISABILITIES. 27
(3) (i) In this paragraph, “Central Repository” has the meaning stated 28
in § 10–201 of the Criminal Procedure Article. 29
(ii) The Administration or contractor shall apply to the Central 30
Repository for a State and national criminal history records check for each employee subject 31
to this subsection. 32
(iii) As part of the application for a criminal history records check, 33
the Administration or contractor shall submit to the Central Repository: 34
4 HOUSE BILL 1242
1. Two complete sets of the empl oyee’s legible fingerprints 1
taken on forms approved by the Director of the Central Repository and the Director of the 2
Federal Bureau of Investigation; 3
2. The fee authorized under § 10 –221(b)(7) of the Criminal 4
Procedure Article for access to Maryland criminal history records; and 5
3. The mandatory processing fee required by the Federal 6
Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history records check. 7
(iv) In accordance with Title 10, Subtitle 2 of the Criminal Procedure 8
Article, the Central Repository shall forward to the employee and the Administration or 9
contractor a printed statement of the employee’s criminal history record information. 10
(v) Information obtained from the Central Repository under this 11
subsection shall be: 12
1. Confidential and may not be disseminated; and 13
2. Used only for the purpose authorized by this subsection. 14
(vi) The subject of a criminal history records check under this 15
subsection may contest the contents of the printed statement issued by the Central 16
Repository as provided in § 10–223 of the Criminal Procedure Article. 17
(4) (I) 1. IN THIS PARAGRAPH THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE 18
THE MEANINGS INDICATED. 19
2. “TRANSPORTATION NETWOR K COMPANY ” HAS THE 20
MEANING STATED IN § 10–101 OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES ARTICLE. 21
3. “TRANSPORTATION NETWORK OPERATOR ” HAS THE 22
MEANING STATED IN § 10–101 OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES ARTICLE. 23
(II) THE REQUIREMENTS OF PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3) OF THIS 24
SUBSECTION DO NOT AP PLY TO A TRANSPORTAT ION NETWORK COMPANY UNDER 25
CONTRACT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION THAT F ACILITATES THE PROVI SION OF 26
TRANSIT SERVICES TO PERSONS WITH DISABIL ITIES THROUGH TRANSP ORTATION 27
NETWORK OPERATORS. 28
(III) A TRANSPORTATION NETWO RK COMPANY UNDER 29
CONTRACT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION THAT F ACILITATES THE PROVI SION OF 30
TRANSIT SERVICE TO P ERSONS WITH DISABILI TIES SHALL CONDUCT A N ANNUAL 31
BACKGROUND SCREENING OF EACH TRANSPORTATI ON NETWORK OPERATOR 32
PROVIDING SERVICES T O PERSONS WITH DISAB ILITIES THROUGH THE 33
HOUSE BILL 1242 5
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER § 1
10–404(B)(2) OF THE PUBLIC UTILITIES ARTICLE. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 3
October 1, 2026. 4