PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island lawmakers are again considering a proposal that would outlaw the use of cellphones while driving.
The House Judiciary Committee voted in favor of the proposed ban Tuesday, moving it to a vote in the full House.
The legislation would prohibit drivers from talking on hand-held devices except in emergencies. Violators would be subject to a $100 fine.
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Rhode Island already prohibits texting while driving, but doesn’t ban holding the phone to talk. Using a hand-held phone while driving is now banned in several states, including Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont.
The Senate passed similar legislation in April and in previous years, but it has repeatedly stalled in the House.
The bill’s main proponent, South Kingstown Democratic Sen. Susan Sosnowski, has been introducing it for a decade.
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