Previous Story
Mobile device ban a step closer to reality
A measure to ban the use of cell phones while driving is a step closer to becoming a law after the House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill at their session last July 18, 2019.
With a vote of 14-0, the House approved Rep. Edmund Villagomez’ (Ind-Saipan) House Bill 21-35, which seeks to ban drivers from using “mobile electronic devices” while operating any vehicle on a public road or highway.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
The bill seeks to penalize those who are found guilty of using their mobile electronic devices—or even just holding it while operating a vehicle—with $50 for the first offense and $100 for each subsequent offense.
If a person is found guilty of causing bodily harm to another because of this, the person will be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, will be punished by a fine of not less than $250 and not more than $1,000, along with imprisonment of not less than 30 days and not more than six months.
The bill exempts people who are using their mobile electronic device for emergency purposes, which include emergency calls to law enforcement agencies, health care providers, the fire department, or other emergency services agency. This bill also exempts emergency responders and emergency service professionals, as well as people using digital two-way radio that uses a cellular telephone that operates by pressing a push-to-talk feature.
This measure is a resurrected bill from the 20th Legislature, which was also sponsored by Villagomez but vetoed by Gov. Ralph DLG Torres on Nov. 22, 2017, due to issues with the language pertaining to emergency situations; emergency responders; and the wide selection of mobile gadgets that one may use while driving.
