HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2500        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Brian W. Murray

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the safe operation of motor vehicles.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2500        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4490 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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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.”