Roadside Solicitation Permit Bill Withdrawn

In the middle of a busy legislative session, a bill giving Montgomery County the ability to set up a roadside solicitation permitting system has been withdrawn from consideration.

“I wanted more time working on convincing people to have a permitting system rather than an outright ban,” said Del. Anne R. Kaiser (D-14), the cosponsor of the bill. "At this stage of the legislative session, it seemed to make more sense to take up this fight again next year."

MC 20-11, introduced by Delegate Kaiser and Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-20), was introduced as a late-filed bill in the County Delegation, but passed through the land-use and transportation committee vote and a round of public hearing on the bill.

Currently, anyone is allowed to ask for money on the medians of roads, as long as they do not step off the curb or harass drivers. Both individual panhandlers and charity groups (including firefighters’ “Fill the Boot Campaign” for Muscular Dystrophy) have collected donations at major intersections. The legislation would ban anyone from collecting money on a median or sidewalk, unless they had a permit from the county.

Ending the ability for anyone to had wide support among the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee, and Janet Yu, owner of Hollywood East, served on the county's task force on the issue. Kaiser added that the residents of Colesville and Hillendale had been most outspoken on the issue.

Kaiser said that she was not supportive of an outright ban but would introduce the bill in the next session. 

“At this point,” Kaiser said, “we need to give it a little more time.”