SB 484 — AN ACT CONCERNING DISTRACTED DRIVING AND THE SAFE OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE IN A HIGHWAY WORK ZONE.

(3) uses a hand-held mobile telephone or mobile electronic device in a manner similar to a two-way radio to allow real-time communication with a school official, an emergency response operator, a hospital, physician's office or health clinic,anambulancecompany,afiredepartmentorapolicedepartment;

or (4) uses a mobile electronic device with a video display, provided such device (A) is used as a global positioning system or to provide navigation, (B) is securely attached inside the school bus near such person, and (C) has been approved for such use by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(d) No person under eighteen years of age shall use any hand-held mobile telephone, including one with a hands-free accessory, or a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle on a public highway, except as provided in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of this section.

(e) No person shall use a hand-held mobile telephone or other SB484 / File No.

591 4 SB484 File No.

591 electronic device or type, read or send text or a text message with or from a mobile telephone or mobile electronic device while operating a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in section 14-1, except for the purpose of communicating with any of the following regarding an emergency situation:

An emergency response operator;

a hospital;

physician's office or health clinic;

an ambulance company;

a fire department or a police department.

(f) Except as provided in subsections (b) to (e), inclusive, of this section, no person shall engage in any activity not related to the actual operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of such vehicle on any highway, as defined in section 14-1.

(g) Any law enforcement officer who issues a summons for a violation of this section shall record on such summons the specific nature of any distracted driving behavior observed by such officer.

(h) Any person who violates this section shall be fined two hundred dollars for a first violation, three hundred seventy-five dollars for a second violation and six hundred twenty-five dollars for a third or subsequent violation.

(i) An operator of a motor vehicle who commits a moving violation, as defined in subsection (a) of section 14-111g, while engaged in any activity prohibited by this section shall be fined in accordance with subsection (h) of this section, in addition to any penalty or fine imposed for the moving violation.

(j) The state shall remit to a municipality twenty-five per cent of the fine amount received for a violation of this section with respect to each summons issued by such municipality.

Each clerk of the Superior Court or the Chief Court Administrator, or any other official of the Superior Court designated by the Chief Court Administrator, shall, on or before the thirtieth day of January, April, July and October in each year, certify to the Comptroller the amount due for the previous quarter under this subsection to each municipality served by the office of the clerk or official.

SB484 / File No.

591 5 SB484 File No.

591 (k) A record of any violation of this section shall appear on the driving history record or motor vehicle record, as defined in section 14- 10, of any person who commits such violation, and the record of such violation shall be available to any motor vehicle insurer in accordance with the provisions of section 14-10.

(l) No person shall be subject to prosecution because of the same offense for a violation of this section and subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 14-222, as amended by this act.

(a) (1) (A) No person shall operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway of the state, or any road of any specially chartered municipal association or of any district organized under the provisions of chapter 105, a purpose of which is the construction and maintenance of roads and sidewalks, or in any parking area for ten cars or more or upon any private road on which a speed limit has been established in accordance with the provisions of section 14-218a or section 14-307a or upon any school property recklessly, having regard to the width, traffic and use ofSenate suchBill highway,No. road, school property or parking area, the intersection of streets and the weather conditions.

The484 operation of a motor vehicle upon any such highway, roadroad, orschool parkingproperty area for ten cars or moreparking atarea, such a rate of speed as to endanger the lifeintersection of anystreets personand other than the operatorweather ofconditions. such motor vehicle, or the operation, downgrade, upon any highway, of any motor vehicle with a commercial registration with the clutch or gears disengaged, or the operation knowingly of a motor vehicle with defective mechanism, shall constitute a violation of the provisions of this subsection.

(B) The operation of a motor vehicle upon any such highway, road or parking area for ten cars or more at such a rate of speed greateras thanto eighty-fiveendanger milesthe perlife hourof butany notperson greaterother than onethe hundredoperator milesof persuch hourmotor vehicle, or the operation, downgrade, upon any highway, of any motor vehicle with a commercial registration with the clutch or gears disengaged, or the operation knowingly of a motor vehicle with defective mechanism, shall constitute a violation of the provisions of this subsection.

(C) The operation of a motor vehicle inupon any such highway, road or parking area for ten cars or more at a highwayrate workof zone,speed asgreater definedthan ineighty- sectionfive 14-212d,miles whileper engagedhour inbut anynot activitygreater SB484than /one Filehundred No.miles per hour shall constitute a violation of the provisions of this subsection.

591(D) 6The SB484operation Fileof No.a motor vehicle in a highway work zone, as defined in section 14-212d, while engaged in any activity prohibited by section 14-296aa, as amended by this act, shall constitute a violation of the provisions of this section.

591 prohibited by section 14-296aa, as amended by this act, shall constitute a violation of the provisions of this section.

(b) (1) No person shall operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway of the state, or any road of any specially chartered municipal association or of any district organized under the provisions of chapter 105, a purpose of which is the construction and maintenance of roads and sidewalks, or in any parking area for ten cars or more or upon any private road on which a speed limit has been established in accordance withPublic theAct provisionsNo. of section 14-218a or 14-307a or upon any school property at a rate of speed greater than one hundred miles per hour.

26-120 2 of 3 Senate Bill No.

484 with the provisions of section 14-218a or 14-307a or upon any school property at a rate of speed greater than one hundred miles per hour.

(c) No person shall be subject to prosecution because of the same offense for a violation of both (1) subsection (a) or (b) of this section, and SB484(2) /subsection File(a) No.of section 14-219.

591Governor's 7Action: SB484 File No.

591Approved (2)June subsection4, (a)2026 ofPublic sectionAct 14-219.No.

(d)26-120 No3 person shall be subject to prosecution because of the3 same offense for a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section and section 14-296aa, as amended by this act.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 14-296aa Sec.

2 October 1, 2026 14-222 JUD Joint Favorable SB484 / File No.

591 8 SB484 File No.

591 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Judicial Dept.

(Probation) GF - Potential Minimal Minimal Cost State Resources GF&TF - See Below See Below Potential Revenue Gain Note:

GF=General Fund;

GF&TF=General Fund & Transportation Fund Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill updates and expands certain driving-related offenses, resulting ina potentialcost to the Judicial Department for probationand a potential revenue gain to the state from fines.

On average, the marginal cost for supervision in the community is less than $600 each 2 year for adults and $450 each year for juveniles.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to the number of offenses and fines collected.

1Between FY 22 and FY 25, there were about 70,000 offenses recorded and $6.4 million in fines collected under CGS §§ 14-222 and 14-296aa.

2Probation marginal cost is based on services provided by private providers and only includes costs that increase with each additional participant.

This does not include a cost for additional supervision by a probation officer unless a new offense is anticipated to result in enough additional offenders to require additional probation officers.

SB484 / File No.

591 9 SB484 File No.

591 OLR Bill Analysis SB 484 AN ACT CONCERNING DISTRACTED DRIVING AND THE SAFE OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE IN A HIGHWAY WORK ZONE.

SUMMARY This bill makes it a per se reckless driving violation to drive in a highway work zone while engaged in any activity prohibited under the state’s distracted driving law.

The bill also adds video converters to the list of devices specifically considered “mobile electronic devices” under the distracted driving law.

A “video converter” is a device created to transmit moving images, through a wired or wireless connection, to a television screen or similar device that is (1) described and limited under the applicable vehicle equipment law and (2) installed or used in a motor vehicle in full view of the driver when he or she is properly restrained in a seatbelt.

The vehicle equipment law prohibits installing or using a television screen or similar device in a vehicle in a position where moving images may be visible to the driver while properly restrained in a seat belt, with exceptions for screens used for assistance while backing up, navigation, or vehicle control and information purposes, among other things.

(It is unclear whether these exceptions apply to moving video transmitted to these screens through video converters.) The law generally prohibits drivers from using a mobile electronic device while driving or typing, sending, or reading a text message with one (as is the case for using a handheld mobile telephone in these ways or to engage in a call).

The bill expands the definition of “use” to include playing a video on a mobile electronic device that is in the driver’s full view when properly restrained by a seatbelt.

The bill also specifies that the distracted driving law’s definitions apply unless the context otherwise requires.

(Presumably, this allows the word “use” to be SB484 / File No.

591 10 SB484 File No.

591 interpreted as its plain meaning in the context of using mobile electronic devices or handheld mobile telephones.

Current law defines “use” as holding a handheld mobile telephone to, or in the immediate proximity of, the user’s ear.) EFFECTIVE DATE:

October 1, 2026 DISTRACTED DRIVING IN A WORK ZONE Existing law prohibits driving recklessly for the surroundings and conditions (such as road geometry or weather).

It specifies certain circumstances that constitute reckless driving per se, including driving more than 85 m.p.h.

The bill expands these per se reckless driving violations to include driving a motor vehicle in a highway work zone while engaging in any activity the state’s existing distracted driving law prohibits.

Under existing law, reckless driving is an unclassified misdemeanor, subject to a fine, up to 30 days (first violation) or up to 364 days (subsequent violations) imprisonment, or both.

The fine for reckless driving in a work zone is generally $200-$600 for a first violation and up to $1,200 for subsequent violations.

The fine for distracted driving in a work zone is $400 for a first violation, $750 for a second violation, and $1,250 for subsequent violations.

These fine amounts are two times the standard amount because both violations are subject to the existing law doubling fines for various driving violations committed in a work zone (CGS § 14-212a).

Under the bill, a person cannot be prosecuted for both a reckless driving violation and distracted driving violation for the same offense.

Under existing law, distracted driving violations are processed by the Centralized Infractions Bureau and may be processed by mail or online.

Reckless driving is a crime and generally requires the violator to appear in court.

SB484 / File No.

591 11 SB484 File No.

591 BACKGROUND Related Bill HB 5463 (File 417), favorably reported by the Transportation Committee, (1) explicitly prohibits driving while a moving image is visible to the driver, (2) reorganizes and revises the distracted driving law, and (3) makes distracted driving in a work zone a per se reckless driving offense.

COMMITTEE ACTION Judiciary Committee Joint Favorable Yea 37 Nay 1 (03/24/2026) SB484 / File No.

591 12