PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor

Ch. 699

(e) The Authority shall have the power to adopt rules and regulations for the safe,
convenient and orderly use of the transit facilities OWNED, CONTROLLED, OR
OPERATED BY THE AUTHORITY, including the payment and the manner of the payment
of fares or charges therefor, the protection of the transit facilities, the control of traffic
and parking upon the transit facilities, and the safety and protection of the riding public.
In the event that any such rules and regulations contravene the laws, ordinances, RULES,
or regulations [or police operational rules] of a signatory or any political subdivision
thereof which are existing or subsequently enacted, these laws, ordinances, RULES, or
regulations of the signatory or the political subdivision shall apply and the conflicting rule
or regulation, or portion thereof, of the Authority shall be void within the jurisdiction of
that signatory or political subdivision. In all other respects, the rules and regulations of
the Authority shall be uniform throughout the transit zone. [The rules and regulations
adopted by WMATA will be adopted by the board following public hearings held in
accordance with § 15 supra and then shall be published by the political subdivisions of the
signatories in the same manner as their respective local ordinances are published. Judges
and clerks of the several courts having jurisdiction in the signatories and their political
subdivisions shall have the authority to impose, collect, and enforce penalties for failure
to pay fines for violation of such rules and regulations in the same manner as fines are
imposed, collected, and enforced in the respective signatories or political subdivisions.]
THE RULES OR REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE
ADOPTED BY THE BOARD FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD IN ACCORDANCE
WITH SECTION 62(C) AND (D) OF THIS COMPACT. THE FINAL REGULATION SHALL BE
PUBLISHED IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION WITHIN THE ZONE AT
LEAST 15 DAYS BEFORE ITS EFFECTIVE DATE. Any person violating any rule or
regulation of the Authority shall be subject to arrest and, upon conviction by a court of
competent jurisdiction, shall pay a fine of not more than $250 and costs [and, upon
further order of the court, shall reimburse WMATA for any loss or damage resulting from
the violation]. CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS OF ANY RULE OR REGULATION OF THE
AUTHORITY SHALL BE PROSECUTED BY THE SIGNATORY OR POLITICAL
SUBDIVISION IN WHICH THE VIOLATION OCCURRED, IN THE SAME MANNER BY
WHICH VIOLATIONS OF LAW, ORDINANCES, RULES, AND REGULATIONS OF THE
SIGNATORY OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS ARE PROSECUTED.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act may not take
effect until similar Acts are passed by the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of
Virginia; that the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia are requested
to concur in this Act of the General Assembly by the passage of substantially similar Acts;
that the Department of Legislative Reference shall notify the appropriate officials of the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States Congress of
the passage of this Act; and that, upon the concurrence in this Act by the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States, the Governor of the
State of Maryland shall issue a proclamation declaring this Act valid and effective and
shall forward a copy of the proclamation to the Director of the Department of Legislative
Reference.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, subject to the provisions
of Section 2 of this Act, this Act shall take effect June 1, 1997.

Approved May 22, 1997.

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