# Maryland SB 0281: Transportation Equality for Service Members Act Maryland SB 0281, Transportation Equality for Service Members Act, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 264); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0281-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland SB 0281 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Transportation Equality for Service Members Act - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-10 - Last action: 2025-05-06, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 264 - Sponsor: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican) - Cosponsors: 7 - Subjects: State Government - Agencies, Offices, and Officials, Vehicle Laws - Miscellaneous, Armed Forces -see also- Military Department; Veterans, Federal Government, License Plates -see also- Motor Vehicle Registration, Motor Vehicle Administration, Rules and Regulations, Transportation -see also- Aircraft; Airports; Boats; etc, Veterans - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (228 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 9 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Vehicle title tax relief for service members: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, qualifying service members pay no Maryland excise tax when an original vehicle title is issued. The owner must be an active service member or a service member returning to Maryland from active duty. That same owner must have previously titled and registered the vehicle in… - Easier driver licensing for service households: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, active-duty service members and dependents can drive in Maryland using their home-state licenses. Drivers must carry the license, and it must cover the type of vehicle driven. Maryland licenses also stay valid during a member’s absence on active service. This protection c… - Emissions inspection relief during service deployments: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, vehicles owned at least partly by an active-duty service member can avoid a scheduled emissions inspection. Official orders must send the member outside the United States or to a duty station without an emissions inspection program. All vehicle owners must certify those o… - Expanded temporary parking placards for service households: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland expands temporary parking placard eligibility for applicants, their dependents, and people relying on them for transportation. The individual seeking the placard must provide proof of a disability covered by state parking law. The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administr… - Home-state vehicle registration for nonresident service members: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, qualifying nonresident service members do not need Maryland registration for their personal passenger vehicles. Members must serve on active duty in Maryland, a neighboring state, or Washington, D.C. Their vehicles must be registered in their state of residence. - Longer temporary identification for service families: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland can offer temporary identification-card renewals to active service members, their spouses, and dependents. A renewal can extend expiration by up to 2 years. Required federal documents must be on file with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. The card must h… - More medal and disabled veteran plates: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, special plates cover certain highest-level non-combat uniformed-services medals, alongside individually earned combat-related armed-forces medals. Applicants must provide medal proof accepted by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, which must adopt rules identifying… - Tax relief for dealer loaner vehicles: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, licensed dealers pay no Maryland excise tax on qualifying dealer-owned loaner vehicles. Dealers must provide the loaner while the customer’s vehicle is unavailable for repair, maintenance, or other service by that dealer. The law does not require dealers to offer loaners… - Veteran eligibility changes; plate access expands: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland uses the federal definition of veteran for state programs, benefits, rights, and privileges. This replaces the prior state definition, including its express inclusion of certain commissioned corps members. Eligibility now depends on meeting the federal definition… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jack Bailey (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: William G. Folden (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jason C. Gallion (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mary-Dulany James (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: J.B. Jennings (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Johnny Mautz (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Johnny Ray Salling (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-07 | House | Third Reading Passed with Amendments | pass | 140 | 0 | | | 2025-04-07 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 46 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-03-17 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 42 | 0 | | ## Actions (16) - 2025-05-06: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 264 - 2025-04-07: Passed Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (46-0) (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Senate Concurs House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed with Amendments (140-0) (House) - 2025-04-07: Floor Amendment {553023/1 (Delegate Korman) Adopted (House) - 2025-04-03: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House) - 2025-04-03: Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-03-19: Hearing 3/27 at 1:00 p.m. (House) - 2025-03-17: Referred Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-03-17: Third Reading Passed (42-0) (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments {803320/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings (Senate) - 2025-01-16: Hearing 1/28 at 1:00 p.m. (Judicial Proceedings) (Senate) - 2025-01-10: First Reading Judicial Proceedings and Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-05-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_264_sb0281e.pdf) - Enrolled, 2025-04-07: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0281e.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0281t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-01-10: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0281f.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law) - HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed) ## Sources - [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_264_sb0281e.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0281e.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0281t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0281f.pdf) ## Related - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS) - [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS) - [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS) - [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS) - [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS) - [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills) - [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0281-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).