| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. |
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| 4 | 4 | | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. |
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| 5 | 5 | | *hb0361* |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | HOUSE BILL 361 |
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| 8 | 8 | | R5 5lr0943 |
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| 9 | 9 | | HB 1335/24 – JUD |
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| 10 | 10 | | By: Delegates Grammer, Arikan, Chisholm, Fisher, Nawrocki, and Szeliga |
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| 11 | 11 | | Introduced and read first time: January 16, 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Assigned to: Judiciary |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A BILL ENTITLED |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT concerning 1 |
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| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | Reckless and Negligent Driving – Death of Another – Must–Appear Violation 2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | (Sherry and Christian’s Law) 3 |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | FOR the purpose of providing that a person charged with reckless or negligent driving that 4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | contributes to an accident that results in the death of another person must appear 5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | in court and may not prepay the fine; authorizing a court to waive the requirement 6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | to appear under certain circumstances; and generally relating to reckless and 7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | negligent driving. 8 |
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| 26 | 26 | | |
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| 27 | 27 | | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9 |
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| 28 | 28 | | Article – Transportation 10 |
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| 29 | 29 | | Section 21–901.1 11 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 12 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13 |
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| 32 | 32 | | |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14 |
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| 34 | 34 | | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15 |
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| 35 | 35 | | |
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| 36 | 36 | | Article – Transportation 16 |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | 21–901.1. 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | (a) A person is guilty of reckless driving if he drives a motor vehicle: 18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) In wanton or willful disregard for the safety of persons or property; or 19 |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) In a manner that indicates a wanton or willful disregard for the safety 20 |
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| 45 | 45 | | of persons or property. 21 |
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| 46 | 46 | | |
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| 47 | 47 | | (b) A person is guilty of negligent driving if he drives a motor vehicle in a careless 22 2 HOUSE BILL 361 |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | or imprudent manner that endangers any property or the life or person of any individual. 1 |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | (c) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , A 2 |
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| 53 | 53 | | PERSON CHARGED WITH A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION THAT CONTRIB UTES TO AN 3 |
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| 54 | 54 | | ACCIDENT THAT RESULT S IN THE DEATH OF AN OTHER: 4 |
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| 55 | 55 | | |
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| 56 | 56 | | (I) MUST APPEAR IN COURT ; AND 5 |
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| 57 | 57 | | |
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| 58 | 58 | | (II) MAY NOT PREPAY THE FI NE. 6 |
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| 59 | 59 | | |
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| 60 | 60 | | (2) AFTER A COURT HAS ISS UED A WRIT SETTING T HE DATE, TIME, 7 |
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| 61 | 61 | | AND PLACE FOR THE PE RSON TO APPEAR , THE COURT MAY , FOR GOOD CAUSE 8 |
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| 62 | 62 | | SHOWN: 9 |
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| 63 | 63 | | |
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| 64 | 64 | | (I) WAIVE THE REQUIREMENT TO APPEAR IN COURT ; AND 10 |
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| 65 | 65 | | |
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| 66 | 66 | | (II) ALLOW THE PERSON TO E NTER A PLEA OF GUILT Y AND 11 |
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| 67 | 67 | | PREPAY THE FINE. 12 |
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| 68 | 68 | | |
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| 69 | 69 | | (D) A person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) of this section is subject to a 13 |
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| 70 | 70 | | fine not exceeding $1,000. 14 |
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| 71 | 71 | | |
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| 72 | 72 | | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15 |
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| 73 | 73 | | October 1, 2025. 16 |
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| 74 | 74 | | |
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| 75 | 75 | | |
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