New Maryland Laws Take Effect October 1, 2018

From new names on rest areas to snowmobiles on highways, some Maryland laws took effect on Monday, Oct. 1, that could make a noticeable difference. Other new laws are subtler, rooted in research, such as the Maryland Health Care Commission's task to look at whether health care providers could access a patient's prescription history or the mandate that employers with at least 50 employees submit a survey about cases of sexual harassment in the workplace. Here's a sample of the laws that took effect Oct. 1, 2018.

Roads And Motor Vehicles

• The State Highway Administration can sell naming rights of public rest areas to private entities.
• The Maryland Transportation Authority is renaming the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge. It will now be called the Harry W. Nice/Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge.
• The "Move Over" law has expanded to include waste/recycling trucks and transportation, service and utility vehicles with yellow/amber flashing lights or signal devices; already covered under the law are tow trucks, emergency response vehicles and law enforcement vehicles.
• Snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles are allowed on parts of some highways in Allegany County at 25 mph.
• Disability placards expire when someone dies and can be issued to nonresidents in Maryland for medical treatment.
• Some people with a learner's permit can take a provisional driver's license test sooner than before.
• The Motor Vehicle Administration can provide birth certificate copies if they are on record with the Maryland Department of Health.
• Parking a disabled, inoperable or immobilized vehicle on a public street for more than seven days is now prohibited in Washington County.
• Non airport taxicab drivers cannot solicit passengers at the airport; they may go to a parking lot.

Corrections/Law Enforcement

• Prisons are required to offer feminine hygiene products for menstruation.
• Correctional facilities must have care for pregnant inmates and offer child placement assistance.
• It is now a crime for law enforcement to have sex with a person in custody.
• The Commission to Restore Trust in Policing is required to submit a report by Dec. 31, 2019, after reviewing the audits of the Baltimore City Police Department and its Gun Trace Task Force.

Crime

• Revenge porn, or sextortion, is a misdemeanor that could result in a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and/or $10,000 fine. Revenge porn is also considered domestic abuse.
• The penalty for interfering with a school bus driver or public transportation worker has been increased to a 1-year sentence rather than 90 days previously on record and/or up to $1,000 fine.
• Permanent protective orders will now be available for victims of domestic violence.
• Law enforcement officers can issue a civil citation to a person who distributes certain tobacco products, including e-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery programs. The penalty is $300 for a first violation; $1,000 for a second violation; and $3,000 for each subsequent violation in a two-year period.
• Groups are now considered to be victims of a hate crime.

Firearms

• There are now mandatory minimum sentences for those with past convictions who are found wearing, carrying or transporting a handgun.
• The "red flag law" allows a judge to order the temporary surrender of firearms if someone is deemed a threat to themselves or others, through an extreme protective order.
• Devices such as "rapid fire trigger activators" are now banned in the state of Maryland. This includes bump stocks.

Public Safety

• Battery-operated smoke alarms are no longer allowed to be sold unless they are sealed, tamper-resistant units incorporating a silence/hush button and using one or more long–life batteries.

Schools

• A principal may report bullying or cyberbullying to law enforcement if they think a crime was committed.
• Higher education institutions must submit reports on sexual assault policies by Aug. 1, 2019.
• A report on bicycle and pedestrian access to schools must be completed by the Maryland Department of Transportation by Jan. 1, 2020.

Health

• Mental health practitioners or child care providers are not allowed to engage in "conversion therapy" with minor clients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender persons.
• Doctors must disclose risks and benefits when prescribing opioids.
• Distributors must report suspicious orders of controlled, dangerous substances.
• Pharmacists are allowed to discuss different medications at lower costs with patients, since a "gag rule" has been revoked.
• The Maryland Health Care Commission must submit a report by Jan. 1, 2020, on the feasability of a system through which providers could access a patient's medication history.
• The Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program has been extended to Dec. 31, 2024.

Work

• Employers with at least 50 employees must submit a survey by July 1, 2020, to the Commission on Civil Rights disclosing how many sexual harassment cases have resulted in settlements or other actions under the new Disclosing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act of 2018.
• State offices are required to permit new mothers to take breast milk breaks.
• State employees are entitled to 60 days of leave time for parental leave with pay.
• State employees have to complete a two-hour sexual harassment prevention training.
• Jockeys are now covered under workman's comp.

Veterans

• Vehicles leased to and used by disabled veterans will have some registration fees waived.
• Spouses of deceased veterans will have their vehicle registration fees waived.
• If a bridge or other structure is dedicated to a deceased veteran, the person must have resided in Maryland.
• Veterans and active service members get priority registration at higher education institutions.
• A report on suicide of veterans will be created.

Animals

• Those convicted of animal cruelty may be prohibited from owning, possessing or residing with an animal for a specified period of time.
• Maryland joined the Interstate Anti–Doping and Drug Testing Standards Compact, which provides uniform rules on medications and drug prohibitions in horse racing.

Other

• Both parties no longer have to appear for an absolute divorce hearing if it was on grounds of mutual consent.
• Tax collectors in Baltimore City can no longer sell a house over unpaid water bills.
• Those with outstanding warrants from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City or Washington County may have their tax refunds intercepted.
• In Carroll County, people can now play card games on Sundays, since that prohibition was lifted.
• The Calvert Marine Museum is now the official paleontology collection and research center.

See all the laws that took effect on Oct. 1, 2018, in Maryland.

Photo of Maryland State House by Elizabeth Janney.