"Maggie's Law" would allow authorities to lodge vehicular homicide charges against drivers who cause fatal wrecks after going more than 24 hours without sleep.

Prosecutors have little discretion to try the cases as anything more severe than careless driving, an offense bringing a $200 fine and up to two points on offenders' licenses. The new law allows prosecutors to charge a sleep-deprived driver with vehicular homicide, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The bill is named after Maggie McDonnell, who was killed in a head-on collision in 1997 by a driver who had been awake 30 hours straight after spending all night in a crack house. The driver, Michael E. Coleman, did not serve any time and was fined just $200.