| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. | |
| 4 | 4 | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. | |
| 5 | - | Underlining indicates amendments to bill. | |
| 6 | - | Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by | |
| 7 | - | amendment. | |
| 8 | 5 | *sb0044* | |
| 9 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 7 | SENATE BILL 44 | |
| 11 | 8 | R5 5lr0895 | |
| 12 | 9 | SB 68/24 – JPR (PRE–FILED) | |
| 13 | 10 | By: Senators Carozza, Gile, James, Jennings, Klausmeier, Muse, Watson, and West | |
| 14 | 11 | Requested: September 19, 2024 | |
| 15 | 12 | Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025 | |
| 16 | 13 | Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings | |
| 17 | - | Committee Report: Favorable | |
| 18 | - | Senate action: Adopted | |
| 19 | - | Read second time: February 7, 2025 | |
| 20 | 14 | ||
| 21 | - | | |
| 15 | + | A BILL ENTITLED | |
| 22 | 16 | ||
| 23 | 17 | AN ACT concerning 1 | |
| 24 | 18 | ||
| 25 | 19 | Reckless and Negligent Driving – Death of Another – Must–Appear Violation 2 | |
| 26 | 20 | (Sherry and Christian’s Law) 3 | |
| 27 | 21 | ||
| 28 | 22 | FOR the purpose of providing that a person charged with reckless or negligent driving that 4 | |
| 29 | 23 | contributes to an accident that results in the death of another person must appear 5 | |
| 30 | 24 | in court and may not prepay the fine; authorizing a court to waive the requirement 6 | |
| 31 | 25 | to appear under certain circumstances; and generally relating to reckless and 7 | |
| 32 | 26 | negligent driving. 8 | |
| 33 | 27 | ||
| 34 | 28 | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9 | |
| 35 | 29 | Article – Transportation 10 | |
| 36 | 30 | Section 21–901.1 11 | |
| 37 | 31 | Annotated Code of Maryland 12 | |
| 38 | 32 | (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13 | |
| 39 | 33 | ||
| 40 | 34 | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14 | |
| 41 | 35 | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15 | |
| 42 | 36 | ||
| 43 | 37 | Article – Transportation 16 | |
| 44 | 38 | ||
| 45 | 39 | 21–901.1. 17 | |
| 46 | 40 | ||
| 47 | 41 | (a) A person is guilty of reckless driving if he drives a motor vehicle: 18 | |
| 42 | + | ||
| 43 | + | (1) In wanton or willful disregard for the safety of persons or property; or 19 | |
| 44 | + | ||
| 45 | + | (2) In a manner that indicates a wanton or willful disregard for the safety 20 | |
| 46 | + | of persons or property. 21 | |
| 48 | 47 | 2 SENATE BILL 44 | |
| 49 | 48 | ||
| 50 | 49 | ||
| 51 | - | (1) In wanton or willful disregard for the safety of persons or property; or 1 | |
| 50 | + | (b) A person is guilty of negligent driving if he drives a motor vehicle in a careless 1 | |
| 51 | + | or imprudent manner that endangers any property or the life or person of any individual. 2 | |
| 52 | 52 | ||
| 53 | - | (2) In a manner that indicates a wanton or willful disregard for the safety 2 | |
| 54 | - | of persons or property. 3 | |
| 53 | + | (c) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , A 3 | |
| 54 | + | PERSON CHARGED WITH A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION THAT CONTRIB UTES TO AN 4 | |
| 55 | + | ACCIDENT THAT RESULT S IN THE DEATH OF AN OTHER: 5 | |
| 55 | 56 | ||
| 56 | - | (b) A person is guilty of negligent driving if he drives a motor vehicle in a careless 4 | |
| 57 | - | or imprudent manner that endangers any property or the life or person of any individual. 5 | |
| 57 | + | (I) MUST APPEAR IN COURT ; AND 6 | |
| 58 | 58 | ||
| 59 | - | (c) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , A 6 | |
| 60 | - | PERSON CHARGED WITH A VIOLATION OF T HIS SECTION THAT CON TRIBUTES TO AN 7 | |
| 61 | - | ACCIDENT THAT RESULT S IN THE DEATH OF AN OTHER: 8 | |
| 59 | + | (II) MAY NOT PREPAY THE FI NE. 7 | |
| 62 | 60 | ||
| 63 | - | (I) MUST APPEAR IN COURT ; AND 9 | |
| 61 | + | (2) AFTER A COURT HAS ISS UED A WRIT SETTING T HE DATE, TIME, 8 | |
| 62 | + | AND PLACE FOR THE PE RSON TO APPEAR , THE COURT MAY , FOR GOOD CAUSE 9 | |
| 63 | + | SHOWN: 10 | |
| 64 | 64 | ||
| 65 | - | ( | |
| 65 | + | (I) WAIVE THE REQUIREMENT TO APPEAR IN COURT ; AND 11 | |
| 66 | 66 | ||
| 67 | - | (2) AFTER A COURT HAS ISS UED A WRIT SETTING T HE DATE, TIME, 11 | |
| 68 | - | AND PLACE FOR THE PE RSON TO APPEAR , THE COURT MAY, FOR GOOD CAUSE 12 | |
| 69 | - | SHOWN: 13 | |
| 67 | + | (II) ALLOW THE PERSON TO E NTER A PLEA OF GUILT Y AND 12 | |
| 68 | + | PREPAY THE FINE . 13 | |
| 70 | 69 | ||
| 71 | - | (I) WAIVE THE REQUIREMENT TO APPEAR IN COURT ; AND 14 | |
| 70 | + | (D) A person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) of this section is subject to a 14 | |
| 71 | + | fine not exceeding $1,000. 15 | |
| 72 | 72 | ||
| 73 | - | | |
| 74 | - | ||
| 73 | + | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take ef fect 16 | |
| 74 | + | October 1, 2025. 17 | |
| 75 | 75 | ||
| 76 | - | (D) A person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) of this section is subject to a 17 | |
| 77 | - | fine not exceeding $1,000. 18 | |
| 78 | - | ||
| 79 | - | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 19 | |
| 80 | - | October 1, 2025. 20 | |
| 81 | - | ||
| 82 | - | ||
| 83 | - | ||
| 84 | - | ||
| 85 | - | Approved: | |
| 86 | - | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 87 | - | Governor. | |
| 88 | - | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 89 | - | President of the Senate. | |
| 90 | - | ________________________________________________________________________________ | |
| 91 | - | Speaker of the House of Delegates. |