Criminal Law - Distribution of Heroin or Fentanyl Causing Death or Serious Bodily Injury (Victoria, Scottie, Ashleigh, and Yader's Law)

HB 1386, "Victoria, Scottie, Ashleigh, and Yader’s Law," makes it a felony for repeat drug distributors to provide heroin, fentanyl, or similar drugs when that distribution causes death or serious injury to another person. It applies only to individuals with prior convictions for distributing controlled substances under Maryland law. The law holds every person who transferred the drugs before the harm occurred liable, mandates a maximum 20-year prison sentence (served consecutively to other sentences), and clarifies that the law covers cases where drugs were mixed with other substances or distributed directly to the victim. This bill directly affects repeat drug distributors whose actions result in fatal or severe injuries, not general users or first-time offenders.