In the final hours of the Maryland General Assembly Monday night, both the House of Delegates and State Senate approved a bill named after a fallen police officer.
Noah's Law, which was named after Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta, was passed following a hard fought battle that came down to the wire, according to WUSA-TV.
The 24-year-old died last December after he was struck by a suspected drunk driver.
Rich Leotta, Noah's father, said that the process was draining on him and his family.
"I was hoping this would be a lot easier, it was not," he told the news station.
Up until the final hour, the two government bodies couldn't seem to agree on the same version of the bill, but with just 50 minutes before the deadline, Noah's Law was officially voted in.
After Gov. Larry Hogan signs the bill as expected, if a person is convicted of driving drunk, they will be required to have an interlock device in their vehicle. The person must first blow into a breathalyzer in order for the car to start.
"What Noah has accomplished here, make no mistake, this would not have happened without Noah's sacrifice," Montgomery County Chief of Police, Thomas Manger said. "This legislation, for 6 years has been introduced and has failed. It's Noah's sacrifice that made this happen. Officer Noah Leotta will be saving lives for the next 100 years."
The final version of the bill is 12 pages long, and Manger says the police department is pleased with the outcome.
