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AB-970 Vehicles: distracted driving.(2017-2018)

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Date Published: 03/28/2017 09:00 PM
AB970:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 28, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 970

Introduced by Assembly Member Frazier

February 16, 2017

An act to add Section 23123.7 to the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 970, as amended, Frazier. Vehicles: distracted driving.
Under existing law, it is an infraction for a person to drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving, except in emergencies, as provided. Existing law makes it an infraction to drive a motor vehicle while holding and operating a handheld wireless telephone or an electronic wireless communications device unless the wireless telephone or electronic wireless communications device is specifically designed and configured to allow voice-operated and hands-free operation, and it is used in that manner while driving, except as provided. Existing law makes it an infraction for a person 18 years of age or younger to drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone or an electronic wireless communications device, even if equipped with a hands-free device, except in emergencies, as provided.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to authorize technological solutions to prevent distracted driving. require a mobile telephone carrier, as defined, to provide customers with the ability to disable, at the network level, the distracting capabilities of their mobile telephones when notified that the customer is driving a motor vehicle.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 23123.7 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

23123.7.
 (a) For purposes of this section, “mobile telephone carrier” means a telephone corporation, as defined in Section 234 of the Public Utilities Code, that provides mobile telephony service, as defined in Section 224.4 of that code.
(b) A mobile telephone carrier shall provide customers with the ability to disable, at the network level, the distracting capabilities of their mobile telephones when notified that the customer is driving a motor vehicle. A mobile telephone carrier shall provide customers with reasonable notice of the availability of this service. A mobile telephone carrier shall establish reasonable and simple means by which a customer who elects to disable the distracting capabilities of his or her mobile telephone when driving a motor vehicle can contact the carrier to request activation of this function and can request that full service be restored when he or she is no longer driving.
(c) A mobile telephone carrier shall disable the distracting capabilities of the customer’s mobile telephone upon receipt of a request from the customer to activate this function and shall reactivate full service upon request.

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to authorize technological solutions to prevent distracted driving.