Bill Looks To Ease Veteran Parking Burden

Delegate Rachel Muñoz prepared to present House Bill 77 to the Environment and Transportation Committee in Annapolis on February 1. The bill was initiated by Joe Dolan.

Posted Wednesday, February 14, 2024 2:57 pm

By Judy Tacyn

As a commercial airline pilot, Shipley’s Choice resident Joe Dolan has traveled to dozens of cities’ airports, hotels and restaurants. He’s also had to find parking at those locales. He soon realized that Texas airports were far more parking friendly for employees than Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. This discovery led him to do a bit of parking research. The United States Naval Academy graduate and U.S. Navy veteran learned that Texas has a robust parking code for veterans. Dolan hopes to bring that law to Maryland.

“In Texas, veterans can park in any public parking lot or meter for free,” Dolan said. “Special license plates allow veterans – and veterans has a comprehensive definition and casts a very wide net in Texas – to park in any lot or at any meter at no cost.”

Dolan thought the veteran parking benefit was a great way to honor veterans, so he shared the Texas parking code with Maryland lawmakers last summer. What started as a lament of cumbersome employee parking at BWI turned into House Bill 77, a proposal for the adoption of armed forces special registration license plates for veteran-owned motor vehicles, exempting the vehicle from metered parking fees in Maryland.

Maryland House Delegate Rachel Muñoz presented the bill in a hearing before the House Environment and Transportation Committee on February 1 in Annapolis. The committee will deliberate on whether to send the bill to the House. Concurrently, Maryland Senator Bryan Simonaire is presenting the bill before the Maryland Senate.

“I am the proud daughter of two United States veterans. I understand deeply the sacrifices our military members and families have willingly made for our country - in the case of Gold Star families - tragically the ultimate sacrifice,” Muñoz said. “This small bill is the least we can do to honor their service and sacrifice.”

In its current filing, the issuance of special license plates could be made available to combat-related armed forces veterans and disabled veterans, which is not as comprehensive as Texas, but potentially a step toward that end.

To learn more about House Bill 77, go to www.mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb0077f.pdf.