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• Introduced by Rep. Steve Bieda (D) on August 21, 2007, to establish as a civil infraction “text messaging” while driving. Specifically, the bill would explicitly prohibit operating a motor vehicle while reading, manually writing, or sending a message on an electronic wireless device.
  • Referred to the House Transportation Committee on August 21, 2007.
    • Reported in the House on May 20, 2008, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
    • Substitute offered in the House on December 4, 2008, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that also bans driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone. Hands-free phones would not be banned. The substitute failed by voice vote in the House on December 4, 2008.
    • Substitute offered by Rep. Steve Bieda (D) on December 4, 2008, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that specifies that enforcement would be accomplished only as a secondary action (when the driver had been stopped for another violation), and that no points would be assessed for violations. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on December 4, 2008.
• Passed 68 to 32 in the House on December 4, 2008, to establish as a civil infraction “text messaging” while driving. Specifically, the bill would explicitly prohibit operating a motor vehicle while reading, manually writing, or sending a message on an electronic wireless device. Enforcement would be accomplished only as a secondary action (when the driver had been detained for another violation), and no points would be assessed for violations.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on December 10, 2008.
  • Referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on December 10, 2008.