HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4490

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, March 21, 2024.

The committee on Transportation, to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3451) of William M. Straus relative to further regulating distracted driving, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4490) ought to pass.

For the committee,

WILLIAM M. STRAUS.

        FILED ON: 2/7/2024

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4490

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act relative to the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to further regulate distracted driving, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public safety.
 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Subsection (a) of section 13B of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the third sentence the following:-

No operator of a motor vehicle shall record, broadcast, or otherwise capture images or video of themselves. No operator shall wear, hold, or otherwise utilize or interact with a spatial computer, or other augmented reality or mixed reality device, operating system, or three-dimensional user interface.

SECTION 2. Said section 13B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (a) the following subsection:-

(a1/2) An operator shall not view video, images or text unrelated to the operation, maintenance, or navigation of the motor vehicle that is displayed on a monitor, screen or other display installed in the motor vehicle or otherwise worn as a headset or elsewhere on the operator’s body. This subsection shall not apply to: (i) symbols or text that enable or disable the hands-free mode of either a mobile electronic device or an on-board application; (ii) symbols or text related to the use of audio systems; (iii) symbols or text related to the use of equipment installed in the motor vehicle by the manufacturer; (iv) symbols or text related to the use of a dispatch system; (v) video or images of vehicle occupants other than the operator; or (vi) video, images, symbols or text related to the use of traffic engineering equipment.

SECTION 3. Subsection (c) of said section 13B of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking the words “using a mobile electronic device.”