Massachusetts State House.
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts drivers would no longer be able to use hand-held cellphones behind the wheel under a bill approved by state lawmakers.
The Senate voted 38-1 in favor of the bill Wednesday. The House approved it on a 153-1 vote Tuesday.
The legislation now heads to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker for his signature. Baker had filed a separate but similar bill.
Hands-free cellphones would still be allowed. Massachusetts already bans texting while driving. The bill would impose fines of $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense and $500 for a subsequent offense.
The bill also requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to collect data from every traffic citation, including the driver’s age, race and gender without identifying the driver.
The information would help identify police agencies that may be engaging in racial or gender profiling.
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