MA Senate Hearing Scheduled for June 6, 2019
Massachusetts House of Representatives votes to pass the life-saving bill 155-2.
-On Wednesday evening, the Massachusetts House voted overwhelmingly to pass bill H 3793, An Act Requiring the Hands-Free Use of Mobile Telephones While Driving.
-The bill prohibits the use of mobile electronic devices by drivers unless the device is being used in hands-free mode. A single touch or swipe is allowed to activate hands-free mode, but nothing more. Drivers in violation will face up to a $500 fine. This legislation will take effect 90 days after it is signed into law.
-The families of three individuals who lost their lives due to distracted driving were in the House chamber during this historic moment . Among those was Rich Levitan, President and CEO of TextLess Live More and father of Merritt Levitan, who was struck and killed by a distracted driver when she was 18 years old.
Speaker Bob DeLeo, Rich Levitan, and Representative Joseph Wagner in the Massachusetts House Chambers
-“Massachusetts is one step closer to being hands free with this almost unanimous vote to pass a strong piece of legislation to end distracted driving,” said Levitan after the vote. “Our collaborative effort with other like-minded organizations, including Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Safe Roads Alliance, , TrueMotion, Vision Zero, and AAA Northeast contributed to a historic day yesterday on Beacon Hill.”
-“I’m trying to hold it together, it’s super emotional,” Levitan continued. “We’re passionate about [this bill] for obvious reasons. It’s what Merritt would be doing if she had the opportunity to do it herself.”
-The State Senate will bring its own hands-free bill to the floor in early June.
