A bill that has become a rallying call for bike advocates, which establishes vehicular manslaughter charges on drivers responsible for the deaths of others, has reached the Maryland Senate and is expected to be voted on this morning.

House Bill 363 escaped from the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Saturday with a minor amendment. The bill had been bottled up by the panel’s chairman, Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Bethesda), over his concern that the legislation could result in jail terms for “distracted” drivers who committed momentary negligence.

After much maneuvering, the committee changed one word – “gross” deviation in place of “substantial” deviation – as the standard under which a driver would be charged with acting in a criminally negligent manner, and released the bill.

Currently in Maryland, if a flagrantly reckless but sober driver causes a death, he or she will pay no more than $1,000 in fines through traffic court. (The only other option, a felony charge, next to never happens because the standards of proof are so high.)

H.B. 363 makes a fatality caused by driving in a reckless manner a misdemeanor punishable by up to 3 years in jail or a $5,000 fine.

The full Senate plans to vote on the bill this morning. This would give the House of Delegates about half a day to decide whether to pass the amended version before the legislative session ends at midnight tonight.