HB35 Summary

• Prohibits operating a motor vehicle on public streets, roads, or highways in Alabama while using a handheld wireless device to write, send, or read text-based communications or while manually inputting data into a handheld GPS device.

• Establishes fines of $25 for a first violation, $50 for a second violation, and $75 for a third or subsequent violation, with no court costs assessed upon conviction.

• Violations are recorded as one-point violations on driving records but do not affect automobile insurance rates or require reporting to insurance providers.

• Exempts voice-operated devices that allow text-based communication without manual hand use and allows law enforcement to treat violations as either primary or secondary enforcement reasons.

• Prohibits vehicle searches based solely on this violation and requires state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies to maintain and report monthly statistics on traffic stops by minority groups to the Department of Public Safety and Attorney General.