Connecticut 2026 Session Status: In Committee 2 D cosponsors

HB 5463 — AN ACT CONCERNING HIGHWAY SAFETY.

Last action — FILE NO. 417

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 04, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 18% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    2 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 D).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

181 added · 28 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill HB 5463 now clearly designates it as having been approved by the Transportation Committee, with specific references to the committee chairperson. It also omits certain preliminary details that were included in the earlier draft, streamlining the information. These changes are important because they clarify the bill's current status and help keep the legislative process organized, ensuring that it is on track for further discussion and potential voting.

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Previous
Latest
General Assembly Raised Bill No.
House of Representatives General Assembly File No.
5463 February Session, 2026 LCO No.
417 February Session, 2026 House Bill No.
2006 Referred to Committee on TRANSPORTATION Introduced by:
5463 House of Representatives, April 7, 2026 The Committee on Transportation reported through REP.
(TRA) AN ACT CONCERNING HIGHWAY SAFETY.
BERGER-GIRVALO of the 111th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING HIGHWAY SAFETY.
(4) "Hands-free accessory" means an attachment, add-on, built-in feature, or addition to a mobile telephone, whether or not permanently LCO 2006 1 of 11 Raised Bill No.
(4) "Hands-free accessory" means an attachment, add-on, built-in HB5463 / File No.
5463 installedina motor vehicle,that, whenused, allowsthevehicleoperator to maintain both hands on the steering wheel.
417 1 HB5463 File No.
417 feature, or addition to a mobile telephone, whether or not permanently installedina motor vehicle,that, whenused, allowsthevehicleoperator to maintain both hands on the steering wheel.
[, but] "Mobile electronic device" does not include any audio equipment or any equipment installed in a motor vehicle for the purpose of providing navigation, emergency assistance to the operator of such motor vehicle or video entertainment to the passengers in the rear seats of such motor vehicle.
[, but] "Mobile electronic device" does not include any audio equipment or any equipment installed in a motor vehicle for the purpose of providing navigation, emergency assistance to the operator of such motor vehicle or video entertainment to the passengers in the rear seats of such motor HB5463 / File No.
LCO 2006 2 of 11 Raised Bill No.
417 2 HB5463 File No.
5463 [(9)] (3) "Operating a motor vehicle" means operating a motor vehicle on any highway, [as defined in section 14-1,] including being temporarily stationary due to traffic, road conditions or a traffic control sign or signal, but not including being parked on the side or shoulder of any highway where such vehicle is safely able to remain stationary.
417 vehicle.
[(9)] (3) "Operating a motor vehicle" means operating a motor vehicle on any highway, [as defined in section 14-1,] including being temporarily stationary due to traffic, road conditions or a traffic control sign or signal, but not including being parked on the side or shoulder of any highway where such vehicle is safely able to remain stationary.
[(2) An operator of a motor vehicle who holds a hand-held mobile telephone to, or in the immediate proximity of, his or her ear while operating a motor vehicle is presumed to be engaging in a call within the meaning of this section.
[(2) An operator of a motor vehicle who holds a hand-held mobile telephone to, or in the immediate proximity of, his or her ear while operating a motor vehicle is presumed to be engaging in a call within HB5463 / File No.
The presumption established by this LCO 2006 3 of 11 Raised Bill No.
417 3 HB5463 File No.
5463 subdivision is rebuttable by evidence tending to show that the operator was not engaged in a call.] [(3)] (2) The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed as authorizing the seizure or forfeiture of [a hand-held mobile telephone or] a mobile electronic device, unless otherwise provided by law.
417 the meaning of this section.
The presumption established by this subdivision is rebuttable by evidence tending to show that the operator was not engaged in a call.] [(3)] (2) The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed as authorizing the seizure or forfeiture of [a hand-held mobile telephone or] a mobile electronic device, unless otherwise provided by law.
[(3)] (2) uses a [hand-held mobile telephone or] mobile electronic device in a manner similar to a two-way LCO 2006 4 of 11 Raised Bill No.
[(3)] (2) uses a [hand-held mobile HB5463 / File No.
5463 radio to allow real-time communication with a school official, an emergency response operator, a hospital, physician's office or health clinic,anambulancecompany,afiredepartmentorapolicedepartment;
417 4 HB5463 File No.
417 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;
LCO 2006 5 of 11 Raised Bill No.
HB5463 / File No.
5463 (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.
417 5 HB5463 File No.
417 (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.
Section 14-222 of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective LCO 2006 6 of 11 Raised Bill No.
Section 14-222 of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective HB5463 / File No.
5463 October 1, 2026):
417 6 HB5463 File No.
417 October 1, 2026):
(b) (1) No person shall operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway of the state, or any road of any specially chartered municipal LCO 2006 7 of 11 Raised Bill No.
(b) (1) No person shall operate any motor vehicle upon any public highway of the state, or any road of any specially chartered municipal HB5463 / File No.
5463 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 14-307a or upon any school property at a rate of speed greater than one hundred miles per hour.
417 7 HB5463 File No.
417 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 14-307a or upon any school property at a rate of speed greater than one hundred miles per hour.
(3) Before granting a license to any applicant who has not previously held a Connecticut motor vehicle operator's license, or whose Connecticut motor vehicle operator's license expired more than two years prior to the application date, the commissioner shall require the applicant to demonstrate personally to the commissioner, a deputy, a motorvehicleinspectororanagentofthecommissioner,insuchmanner LCO 2006 8 of 11 Raised Bill No.
(3) Before granting a license to any applicant who has not previously held a Connecticut motor vehicle operator's license, or whose Connecticut motor vehicle operator's license expired more than two years prior to the application date, the commissioner shall require the applicant to demonstrate personally to the commissioner, a deputy, a motorvehicleinspectororanagentofthecommissioner,insuchmanner HB5463 / File No.
5463 as the commissioner directs, that the applicant is a proper person to operate motor vehiclesoftheclass for which suchapplicant has applied, has sufficient knowledge of the mechanism of the motor vehicles to ensure their safe operation by him or her and has satisfactory knowledge of the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of the road.
417 8 HB5463 File No.
417 as the commissioner directs, that the applicant is a proper person to operate motor vehiclesoftheclass for which suchapplicant has applied, has sufficient knowledge of the mechanism of the motor vehicles to ensure their safe operation by him or her and has satisfactory knowledge of the laws concerning motor vehicles and the rules of the road.
LCO 2006 9 of 11 Raised Bill No.
Sec.
5463 Sec.
Subdivision (88) of section 14-1 of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
Subdivision (88) of section 14-1 of the 2026 supplement to the HB5463 / File No.
417 9 HB5463 File No.
417 general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
[, as defined in section 14-296aa.] LCO 2006 10 of 11 Raised Bill No.
[, as defined in section 14-296aa.] HB5463 / File No.
5463 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
417 10 HB5463 File No.
417 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
4 October 1, 2026 14-1(88) October 1, 2026 Sec.
4 October 1, 2026 14-1(88) Sec.
Show all 107 changed rows (67 more)
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Latest
5 42-110x(a)(15) TRA Joint Favorable LCO 2006 11 of 11
5 October 1, 2026 42-110x(a)(15) TRA Joint Favorable HB5463 / File No.
417 11 HB5463 File No.
417 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.
HB5463 / File No.
417 12 HB5463 File No.
417 OLR Bill Analysis HB 5463 AN ACT CONCERNING HIGHWAY SAFETY.
SUMMARY This bill revises and updates the state’s distracted driving law.
Among other things, it explicitly prohibits:
1.
driving while a videoor movingimage (otherthanGPS) isvisible to the driver, 2.
driving while holding or supporting a mobile electronic device with any part of the body, and 3.
failing to maintain a proper lookout.
The bill reorganizes and makes various minor, technical, and conforming changes to the distracted driving law, including merging current definitions into two terms (“mobile electronic device” and “hands-free mode”), deleting redundant language, and making technical corrections to statutory references.
Broadly, these changes simplify and update the law to reflect current technology and its use.
The bill also 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.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
October 1, 2026 DISTRACTED DRIVING REVISIONS “Mobile Electronic Device” and “Hands Free Mode” The bill combines current law’s definitions, eliminates redundant ones, and generally updates them to reflect current device and vehicle technology and how it is used (for example, voice-activated vehicle HB5463 / File No.
417 13 HB5463 File No.
417 technologies).
Under current law, a “mobile electronic device” is any handheld or portable electronic equipment capable of providing data communications between two or more people, including a number of devices specified in the law.
The bill (1) eliminates the definition of mobile telephone and other associated definitions and instead includes mobile telephone asone ofthespecifieddevicesand (2)addsequipment to display a video or moving image to the list of devices included.
It also clarifies that the law is not limited to only those listed in the definition.
The bill defines the term “hands free mode” and eliminates current law’s definitions for handheld mobile telephone, hands-free accessory, and hands-free mobile telephone.
“Hands-free mode” means the operation of a mobile electronic device where a user engages in voice communication or receives audio without touching or holding the device, other than to activate or deactivate it with a single touch or swipe.
Compared to the definitions the bill eliminates, this new definition focuses on how a person uses the technology, as opposed to the technology’s features.
Prohibited Activities Currently, the activities prohibited under the distracted driving law generally focus on how a person is using a device.
More specifically, it prohibits using a mobile telephone to engage in a call or using a mobile telephone or mobile electronic device to type, send, or read a text message.
It also (1) presumes that a driver who holds a phone near their ear is engaged in a call and (2) allows an exception for using hands-free mobile telephones.
The bill revises these prohibited activities by generally eliminating those under current law and instead prohibiting (1) holding or supporting a mobile electronic device with any part of the body;
(2) using a mobile electronic device (unless it is in hands-free mode);
or (3) reading, viewing, or typing a text message or other nonvoice message or communication on a mobile electronic device.
HB5463 / File No.
417 14 HB5463 File No.
417 The bill retains (directly or indirectly) existing law’s exceptions to these prohibited activities (such as emergency calls) and special circumstances (such as prohibiting young drivers from using devices even hands-free).
Driving with Video in Driver’s View.
The bill additionally prohibits driving while a video or moving image is visible to the driver, in the normal driving position, on a mobile electronic device, installed screen, or other similar device.
This prohibition does not apply to maps generated by GPS systems or applications, as long as the device or screen is mounted or attached to the vehicle’s windshield, dashboard, or center console in a way that doesn’t impede driving.
(Presumably, this activity is already prohibited under current law, to the extent that it is considered “using” a mobile electronic device.) Failure to Maintain Proper Lookout.
Existing law also prohibits engaging in any activity that is not related to driving and that interferes with safe driving.
The bill additionally prohibits failing to maintain a proper lookout while driving.
DISTRACTED DRIVING IN A WORK ZONE Existing law prohibits driving recklessly for the surroundings and conditions (such as road geometry or weather), andspecifies 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 $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 HB5463 / File No.
417 15 HB5463 File No.
417 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.
BACKGROUND Related Bill SB 484, favorably reported by the Judiciary Committee, (1) adds video converters to the definition of a mobile electronic device and (2) makes distracted driving in a work zone a per se reckless driving offense.
COMMITTEE ACTION Transportation Committee Joint Favorable Yea 34 Nay 1 (03/16/2026) HB5463 / File No.
417 16
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Action History

  1. FILE NO. 417

  2. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 301

  3. FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  4. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  5. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26

  6. FILED WITH LCO

  7. Joint Favorable

  8. PUBLIC HEARING 0309

  9. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Transportation

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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2 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 185 not signed on

Sponsors (2)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (185)

185 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 185 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Subjects

public-safety transportation
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 5463?
HB 5463 is sponsored by Jennifer Leeper (Democratic) and Eilish Collins Main (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 5463?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 04, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
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