There is a Maryland Transportation Authority.

The Secretary of Transportation is the Chairman of the Authority. In addition to the Chairman, the Authority consists of eight members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The appointed members of the Authority may not be employees of the Executive Branch of the State government. Of the appointed members: One shall have expertise in structural engineering; One shall have expertise in transportation planning; One shall have expertise in land use planning; and One shall have expertise in finance. The appointed members of the Authority shall reflect the racial, gender, and geographic diversity of the population of the State. Each appointed member serves for a term of 4 years and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. The terms of the appointed members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Authority on January 1, 2007. An appointed member may not serve more than three consecutive terms. A member appointed to fill a vacancy in an unexpired term serves only for the remainder of that term. A member of the Authority is entitled to: The compensation provided in the State budget; and Reimbursement for expenses, in accordance with the Standard State Travel Regulations of the Department of Budget and Management.

The Authority is entitled to the staff provided in the State budget. The Secretary shall provide the Authority with the personnel of the Department that the Secretary considers necessary for performance of the maintenance and other functions required of the Authority to meet its obligations with respect to its transportation facilities projects.

Acting on behalf of the Department, the Authority has those powers and duties relating to the supervision, financing, construction, operation, maintenance, and repair of transportation facilities projects as are granted to it by this title or any other provisions of law. The Authority has general supervision over all transportation facilities projects. The Authority shall finance, construct, operate, repair, and maintain in good order all transportation facilities projects.

Subject to § 4–306 of this title and in addition to the powers otherwise specifically granted by law, the Authority has the powers described in this section. The Authority may acquire, hold, and dispose of property in the exercise of its powers and performance of its duties. Subject to the limitations described in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Authority may make any contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the exercise of its powers and performance of its duties. Not less than 45 days before entering into any contract or agreement to acquire or construct a revenue–producing transportation facilities project, subject to § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Authority shall provide, to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the House Committee on Ways and Means, and the House Appropriations Committee, for review and comment, and to the Department of Legislative Services, a description of the proposed project, a summary of the contract or agreement, and a financing plan that details: The estimated annual revenue from the issuance of bonds to finance the project; and The estimated impact of the issuance of bonds to finance the project on the bonding capacity of the Authority. Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Authority may employ and fix the compensation of attorneys, consulting engineers, accountants, construction and financial experts, superintendents, managers, and any other agents and employees that it considers necessary to exercise its powers and perform its duties. The compensation established by the Authority for executive management positions shall be consistent with the compensation of comparable positions in the Department of Transportation. The compensation established by the Authority shall be reported to the General Assembly each year as part of the Authority’s presentation of its budget. The expense of employing these persons may be paid only from revenues or from the proceeds of revenue bonds issued by the Authority. The Authority may apply for and receive grants from any federal agency for the planning, construction, operation, or financing of any transportation facilities project and may receive aid or contributions of money, property, labor, or other things of value from any source, to be held, used, and applied for the purposes for which the grants, aid, and contributions are made. The Authority may adopt rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this title. The Authority may do anything else necessary or convenient to carry out the powers granted in this title.

Subject to Title 12 of the Real Property Article and Ch. 608, Acts of 1976, the Authority may condemn property for any transportation facilities project authorized to be financed with revenue bonds of prior issues.

Except for water and sewer charges imposed by this State or any of its agencies or political subdivisions, the Authority, its activities, and the property it owns or controls are exempt from all taxes, assessments, and charges, whether federal, State, or local, now or subsequently levied or imposed.

There is a Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force. Subject to subsection (b) of this section, a Maryland Transportation Authority police officer has all the powers granted to a peace officer and a police officer of this State. A Maryland Transportation Authority police officer may exercise the powers described in subsection (a)(2) of this section on property owned, leased, or operated by or under the control of the Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland Aviation Administration, and Maryland Port Administration. This paragraph does not apply to a highway as defined in § 8–101 of this article or other public property or waterway open for public conveyance. For purposes of establishing perimeter security subject to the requirements of paragraph (3) of this subsection, a Maryland Transportation Authority police officer may exercise the powers described in subsection (a)(2) of this section: Within 500 feet of property described in paragraph (1) of this subsection; and On or within 500 feet of any other property owned, leased, operated by, or under the control of the Department. A Maryland Transportation Authority police officer may exercise the powers described in paragraph (2) of this subsection, if: The Chairman of the Maryland Transportation Authority, with the approval of the Governor, determines on the basis of specific and articulable facts that the exercise of the powers is reasonable to protect against actual or threatened physical injury or damage to State employees or State property or assets and provides notice of the exercise of the powers to the: Chief of police, if any, or the chief’s designee, in a municipal corporation; Chief of police or the chief’s designee in a county with a county police department; Sheriff or the sheriff’s designee in a county without a police department; Police Commissioner or the Police Commissioner’s designee in Baltimore City; Secretary of Natural Resources or the Secretary’s designee on any property owned, leased, operated by, or under the control of the Department of Natural Resources; Secretary of State Police or the Secretary’s designee; or Secretary of a principal department that maintains a police force or the secretary’s designee if the department would be affected by the actions of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force of this subsection; or Ordered to do so by the Governor pursuant to a proclamation or declaration by the Governor of a state of emergency under Title 14 of the Public Safety Article. The police officer may not exercise these powers on any other property unless: Engaged in fresh pursuit of a suspected offender; Specially requested or permitted to do so in a political subdivision by its chief executive officer or its chief police officer; or Ordered to do so by the Governor. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to preclude, or limit in any way, the authority of any federal, State, or local law enforcement agency, or any other federal police or federal protective service. In consultation with the Secretary of State Police and the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission, the Secretary of Transportation shall adopt standards, qualifications, and prerequisites of character, training, education, human and public relations, and experience for Maryland Transportation Authority police officers, including standards for the performance of their duties. To the extent practicable, the Secretary of Transportation shall adopt standards that are similar to the standards adopted for the Department of State Police. Standards adopted on or after July 1, 1974, on minimum hiring qualifications of Maryland Transportation Authority police officers may not affect the status of any individual who was a qualified toll facilities police officer on that date. The Authority shall adopt rules and regulations governing the operation and conduct of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force and of Maryland Transportation Authority police officers. These rules and regulations shall be consistent with the standards established by the Secretary. The Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force shall provide police services to the Authority, to the Maryland Aviation Administration, and to the Maryland Port Administration. Any person who was a member in good standing, as of July 1, 1977, of the Maryland Aviation Administration Police Force of the Department and subsequently an airport police employee of the State Police, shall become a member of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force, and shall continue as such without diminution in salary, except for shift differential, until retirement, resignation, or termination, and shall be paid in accordance with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force pay plan. Each employee described in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall remain a member of the Baltimore City fire and police employees retirement system. The Authority shall reimburse the City for the employer’s cost of the pension coverage. Any person who is a member in good standing, as of July 1, 1998, of the Maryland Port Administration Police Force of the Department shall become a member of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force and shall continue as such without diminution in salary until retirement, resignation, or termination of employment, and shall be paid in accordance with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force plan. Each employee described in paragraph (1) of this subsection may elect to join the Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System under the provision of Title 26 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article.

The chief police officer of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Force may appoint employees of the Authority to exercise the powers specified in subsection (b) of this section. An employee appointed under this section may issue citations to the extent authorized by the chief police officer for violations of those provisions of § 5–426 of this article relating to motor vehicle parking at Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The issuance of citations under this section shall comply with the requirements of Title 26, Subtitle 3 of this article. The chief police officer, in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission, shall adopt regulations establishing: Qualifications for employees appointed under this section, including prerequisites of character, training, experience, and education; and Standards for the performance of the duties assigned to employees appointed under this section.

As to revenue bonds, including revenue bonds of prior issues, and transportation facilities projects: Every resolution, rule, regulation, form, order, and directive adopted by or relating to the State Roads Commission remains in effect until changed by the Maryland Transportation Authority; and Every reference in this Code, any other law, ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, order, directive, legal action, contract, or any other document to the State Roads Commission means the Maryland Transportation Authority.

Each year, the Authority shall develop and adopt a 6–year financial forecast for the operations of the Authority. In accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Authority shall submit to the General Assembly: A draft of the financial forecast on submission of the budget bill to the presiding officers of the General Assembly; and The financial forecast as approved by the Authority on or before September 1 of each year. The financial forecast shall include the following components: A schedule of operating expenses; A schedule of revenues, including concessions income, investment income, other income, and transfers from the Department; A schedule of toll revenues, including the average toll per vehicle, the average toll increase, the number of paid vehicles, and the toll revenue by toll facility by fiscal year; A schedule of planned bond issuances, including a detailed summary of bonds issued to fund the capital program and bonds issued to fund capitalized interest; A schedule of debt service in each fiscal year for each bond issuance of all debt issued by the Authority, including debt service estimates of planned bond issuances; and A summary schedule for the Authority that includes: The total cash balance; The amount of the cash balance that is encumbered; The annual cash surplus or deficit; Revenues; Transfers to the Department from the Authority; Transfers to the Authority from the Department; Bond sales; Expenditures for debt service; Operating expenses; Capital expenses; Maintenance and operations expense reserve accounts; Forecasted bond interest rates; Total bonds outstanding; and Financial coverage ratios, including the ratio of total cash to toll revenues, the debt service coverage ratio, and the rate covenant compliance ratio. The financial forecast shall include, for each of the components specified in subsection (c) of this section: Actual information for the last full fiscal year; and Forecasts of the information for each of the 6 subsequent fiscal years, including the current fiscal year, the fiscal year for the proposed budget, and the next 4 subsequent fiscal years.

For purposes of the Open Meetings Act, a project site visit or educational field tour may not be considered a meeting of the Authority if no organizational business is conducted.

In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. “Advisory Group” means the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Reconstruction Advisory Group. “Chesapeake Bay Bridge” means the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Chesapeake Bay Bridge and parallel Chesapeake Bay Bridge. There is a Chesapeake Bay Bridge Reconstruction Advisory Group in the Department. The Advisory Group consists of the following members: The Secretary of Transportation, or the Secretary’s designee; The State Highway Administrator, or the Administrator’s designee; The Executive Director of the Authority, or the Executive Director’s designee; Two citizen members appointed by the Anne Arundel County Council; Two citizen members appointed by the County Commissioners of Queen Anne’s County; and The following members appointed by the Governor: Three citizen members who live in Anne Arundel County and are familiar with issues faced by commuters who cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; and Three citizen members who live in Queen Anne’s County and are familiar with issues faced by commuters who cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The term of an appointed member is 3 years. The terms of the appointed members are staggered as required by the terms provided for members of the Advisory Group on July 1, 2020. At the end of a term, an appointed member continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies. An appointed member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the rest of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. From among its members, the Advisory Group shall elect a chair each year. The Authority shall provide staff for the Advisory Group. A member of the Advisory Group: May not receive compensation as a member of the Advisory Group; but Is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. The Advisory Group shall: Adopt bylaws; Provide the Authority with an independent, citizen–informed perspective on the Authority’s operations at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; and Assist the Authority in: Assessing potential concerns about activity relating to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; and Educating the general public about activity relating to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; and Work collaboratively with the Authority and provide pertinent input related to traffic and customer service issues. The Advisory Group is a public body and is subject to Title 3 of the General Provisions Article. Any entity that conducts a traffic capacity study pertaining to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and U.S. Route 50 between Interstate 97 and Maryland Route 404 shall report its findings and recommendations to the Advisory Group. The Advisory Group shall report its activities and recommendations quarterly to the Authority. On or before July 1, 2021, and each July 1 thereafter, the Advisory Group shall report its activities and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly.