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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0686*
HOUSE BILL 686
R5 6lr1268
CF SB 349
By: Delegates Williams, Alston, Coley, Hill, Martinez, Roberson, Roberts, and
Taveras
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Vehicle Laws – Eluding Police – Penalties 2
(Zoey’s Law) 3
FOR the purpose of altering certain penalties for attempting to elude a police officer when 4
that attempt results in the death of another person; and generally relating to 5
penalties for eluding a police officer. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Transportation 8
Section 21–904 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Transportation 14
21–904. 15
(a) In this section, “visual or audible signal” includes a signal by hand, voice, 16
emergency light or siren. 17
(b) If a police officer gives a visual or audible signal to stop and the police officer 18
is in uniform, prominently displaying the police officer’s badge or other insignia of office, a 19
driver of a vehicle may not attempt to elude the police officer by: 20
(1) Willfully failing to stop the driver’s vehicle; 21
(2) Fleeing on foot; or 22
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(3) Any other means. 1
(c) If a police officer gives a visual or audible signal to stop and the police officer, 2
whether or not in uniform, is in a vehicle appropriately marked as an official police vehicle, 3
a driver of a vehicle may not attempt to elude the police officer by: 4
(1) Willfully failing to stop the driver’s vehicle; 5
(2) Fleeing on foot; or 6
(3) Any other means. 7
(d) (1) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this 8
section that results in bodily injury to another person. 9
(2) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this 10
section that results in death of another person. 11
(e) (1) In this subsection, “crime of violence” has the meaning stated in § 12
14–101 of the Criminal Law Article. 13
(2) A driver may not commit a violation of subsection (b)(1) or (c)(1) of this 14
section while the driver is attempting to elude a police officer who is signaling for the driver 15
to stop for the purpose of apprehending the driver for the commission of a crime of violence 16
for which the driver is subsequently convicted. 17
(f) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a person 18
convicted of a violation of this section is subject to: 19
(i) For a first offense, imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or a fine 20
not exceeding $1,000 or both; and 21
(ii) For a second or subsequent offense, imprisonment not exceeding 22
2 years or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both. 23
(2) A person convicted of a violation of subsection (d)(1) or (e) of this section 24
is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both. 25
(3) A person [convicted of a violation of] WHO VIOLATES subsection (d)(2) 26
of this section is GUILTY OF A FELONY AND ON CONVICTION IS subject to: 27
(I) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE , imprisonment not exceeding [10] 5 28
years or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both; AND 29
HOUSE BILL 686 3
(II) FOR A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE, IMPRISONMENT 1
NOT EXCEEDING 10 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000 OR BOTH. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 3
October 1, 2026. 4