Delegate Ready Sponsors Bill to Fight Mileage Tracking by State Government

Elected officials in Carroll County are working to pass House Bill 682, legislation that would prohibit the state from establishing a vehicle-per-mileage tax through the use of GPS tracking devices on vehicles.

Delegate Justin Ready (R- Carroll) recently presented House Bill 682 before the House Ways and Means Committee.

“It is hard to believe that the state would even be contemplating using VMT to tax Marylanders, but it is very likely that without the legislation that I have put forward, the Department of Transportation will put it be put in place by 2020," Ready said in a release. "Two states are already piloting this program, but they are looking at it in lieu of gas taxes. Maryland wants to have it in addition to gas taxes."

For months, Carroll County Commissioner Richard Rothschild has been voicing his concern about the government tracking mileage on cars for the purpose of taxing. He testified in favor of Ready's bill at last week's hearing. 

"In the MDOT 2012 implementation guide, the state overtly telegraphs its intentions to require GPS tracking of your personal vehicle for purposes of levying a mileage based tax in addition to gas taxes," Rothschild said in a comment on another Patch article. "I initiated legislation that would prohibit this because I believe it constitutes a gross violation of your Fourth Amendment rights."

"The courts have already weighed in on this, yet MDOT seems undeterred," Rothschild continued. "During testimony, under heavy questioning, MDOT reluctantly admitted they are considering this."

Ready said that legislation like this would have "far-reaching consequences on drivers who are working poor or from rural areas including Carroll County."

In addition to the potential tax, Ready said he is also concerned about the government's ability to track the movements of its citizens.

“Most importantly, HB 682 also protects privacy rights and would proactively prevent the state from keeping track of the movements of citizens," Ready said. If the state was able to mandate tracking devices on private vehicles the possibilities are endless on how the state would be able to monitor where law-abiding, private citizens go. That is unacceptable to me."

Both Delegates Susan Krebs (R-Carroll) and Nancy Stocksdale (R-Carroll) are cosponsors of this bill.

Follow the bill on this General Assembly website.