NY State Senate Bill 2019-S2980

Senate Bill S2980

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Prohibits the use of a hands-free mobile telephone by operators of motor vehicles who hold a learner's permit or a class DJ or MJ license

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to transportation
Jan 31, 2019	referred to transportation

co-Sponsors

2019-S2980 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1376
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §1225-c, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S604
2011-2012: S948, A9616
2013-2014: S1511, A2723
2015-2016: S383, A6383
2017-2018: S1257, A3881
2021-2022: S1316, A3209
2023-2024: A1421

2019-S2980 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the use of hands-free mobile telephones by operators of motor vehicles who hold learner's permits or class DJ or class MJ licenses.

2019-S2980 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S2980

SPONSOR: GAUGHRAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to prohibiting
the use of mobile telephones by operators of motor vehicles who hold
learner's permits

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would prohibit the use of mobile telephones by operators of
motor vehicles who hold learner's permits or a class DJ or MJ license.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Amends subdivision 3 and 4 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and traffic
law, as added by chapter 69 of the laws of 2001 to prohibit the use of
mobile telephones, even hands-free mobile telephones, by operators of
motor vehicles who hold learner's permits or a class DJ or MJ license.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The National Transportation Safety Board reports that young drivers make
up just seven percent of the driving population, but are involved in 15
percent of the fatal crashes.

Young and/or inexperienced drivers, holding only a learner's permit or a
class DJ or MJ license, are behind the wheel for one purpose, to learn
how to safely operate a vehicle. These drivers need their full attention
on the road and the task of becoming a responsible driver.

The Safety Board has long been concerned with the issues of distracted
driving and novice drivers. The Board recommended to all States to
prohibit holders of learner's permits from using wireless mobile tele-
phones while driving. This bill takes the necessary step of taking this
unnecessary distraction out of the hands of drivers possessing only a
learner's permit or a class DJ or MJ license.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

s.1257 OF 2017/18

S.383 of 2015/16

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2019-S2980 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2980
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 31, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. GAUGHRAN, BOYLE -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to  prohibiting
   the  use  of mobile telephones by operators of motor vehicles who hold
   learner's permits

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivisions 3 and 4 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and
 traffic law, subdivision 3 as added by chapter 69 of the  laws  of  2001
 and subdivision 4 as amended by section 6 of part B of chapter 55 of the
 laws of 2014, are amended to read as follows:
   3. Subdivision two of this section shall not apply to (a) the use of a
 mobile  telephone  for the sole purpose of communicating with any of the
 following regarding an emergency situation: an emergency response opera-
 tor; a hospital, physician's  office  or  health  clinic;  an  ambulance
 company  or  corps;  a fire department, district or company; or a police
 department, (b) any of the following persons while in the performance of
 their official duties: a police officer or peace officer; a member of  a
 fire  department,  district or company; or the operator of an authorized
 emergency vehicle as defined in section one hundred one of this chapter,
 or (c) the use of a hands-free mobile telephone, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT
 THE USE OF A HANDS-FREE MOBILE TELEPHONE  SHALL  BE  PROHIBITED  FOR  AN
 OPERATOR  OF  A MOTOR VEHICLE WHO IS A HOLDER OF A LEARNER'S PERMIT OR A
 CLASS DJ OR CLASS MJ LICENSE.
   4. A violation of subdivision two  OR  PARAGRAPH  (C)  OF  SUBDIVISION
 THREE of this section shall be a traffic infraction and shall be punish-
 able  by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than two hundred
 dollars upon conviction of a  first  violation;  upon  conviction  of  a
 second  violation, both of which were committed within a period of eigh-
 teen months, such violation shall be punished by a fine of not less than
 fifty dollars nor more than two hundred fifty dollars;  upon  conviction
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD02466-01-9

 S. 2980                             2
 
 of a third or subsequent violation, all of which were committed within a
 period of eighteen months, such violation shall be punished by a fine of
 not less than fifty dollars nor more than four hundred fifty dollars.
   §  2.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S2980

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Sponsored By

James Gaughran