Handheld personal communications devices; penalty if text messaging and emailing while driving. (SB219)

Introduced By

Sen. George Barker (D-Alexandria)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Text messaging and emailing while driving; penalty.  Allows police officers to issue citations to violators who text message or email while operating a moving motor vehicle. Currently, police officers must have cause to stop or arrest a driver for some other violation before issuing a citation. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/10/2012Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/12
01/10/2012Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/12 12102224D
01/10/2012Referred to Committee on Transportation
01/17/2012Impact statement from DPB (SB219)
01/18/2012Reported from Transportation (8-Y 5-N 1-A) (see vote tally)
01/20/2012Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/23/2012Read second time and engrossed
01/23/2012Motion to rerefer to committee agreed to
01/23/2012Rereferred to Courts of Justice
02/06/2012Reported from Courts of Justice (10-Y 4-N) (see vote tally)
02/07/2012Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 13-N) (see vote tally)
02/07/2012Reconsideration of passage agreed to by Senate (38-Y 2-N) (see vote tally)
02/07/2012Passed Senate (28-Y 12-N) (see vote tally)
02/13/2012Placed on Calendar
02/13/2012Read first time
02/13/2012Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
02/15/2012Assigned MPPS sub: #2
02/16/2012Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
03/10/2012Left in Militia, Police and Public Safety

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 1 clip in all, totaling 34 seconds.

Comments

Liz Dordal writes:

While I applaud and heartily support the intent of this b1ll- a $20 or $50 fine is not going to be enough to deter, and is a joke. There should be a $100 fine; initially, and for subsequent violations, 1 driving point. Make it worthwhile for police officers to make it worth their effort to pull over those who have such little disregard for the lives of the people they endanger each time they choose to text and drive.