SB 1375 — AN ACT CONCERNING HIGHWAY, PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY.

5065540 10 ofsSB1375 21File RaisedNo. Bill No.1375 bicycle, electric bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, skateboard or electric foot scooteror wearroller skatesor in-line skatesonthetraveledportion of any highway, at a skateboarding park or any park unless such child is wearing properly fitted and fastened protective headgear which conforms to the minimum specifications established by the American National Standards Institute, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Society for Testing and Materials or the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling, as amended from time to time.

540 conforms to the minimum specifications established by the American National Standards Institute, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Society for Testing and Materials or the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling, as amended from time to time.

(e) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall post on the Department of Consumer Protection's Internet web site information concerning the dangers of riding bicycles, electric bicycles or electric foot scooters, skateboarding, roller skating and in-line skating without LCOprotectiveheadgear No.andpromotingtheuseofprotectiveheadgear while riding bicycles, electric bicycles or electric foot scooters, skateboarding, roller skating and in-line skating.

5065 11 of 21 Raised Bill No.1375 protectiveheadgear andpromotingtheuseofprotectiveheadgear while riding bicycles, electric bicycles or electric foot scooters, skateboarding, roller skating and in-line skating.

Section 14-298 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025):

(a) There shall be within the Department of Transportation the Office of the State Traffic Administration, which shall constitute a successor to the State Traffic Commission, in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d, 4-38e and 4-39.

(b) For the purpose of standardization and uniformity, said office shall adopt [and cause to be printed for publication] regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 establishing a uniform system of traffic control signals, devices, signs and markings consistent with the provisions of this chapter for use upon the public highways.

The Commissioner of Transportation shall make known to the General Assembly the availability of such regulations and any requesting member shall be sent a written copy or electronic storage media of such regulations by said commissioner.

Taking into consideration the public safety and convenience with respect to the width and character of the highways and roads affected, the density of traffic thereon and the character of such traffic, said office shall also adopt regulations, in cooperation and agreement with local traffic authorities and in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, governing the use of state highways and roads on state-owned properties, and the operation of vehicles, including, but not limited to, motor vehicles, bicycles, as defined in section 14-286, electric bicycles and electric foot scooters thereon.

A list of limited-access highways shall be published with such regulations and said list shall be revised and published once each year.

The Commissioner of Transportation shall make known to the General Assembly the availability of such regulations and list and any requesting member shall be sent a written copy or electronic storage mediaofsuchregulationsandlist by thecommissioner.A list oflimited- LCO No.

5065 12 of 21 Raised Bill No.1375 access highways opened to traffic by the Commissioner of Transportation in the interim period between publications shall be maintained in the Office of the State Traffic Administration and such regulations shall apply to the use of such listed highways.

(c) Said office shall also [make] adopt regulations, in cooperation and agreement with local traffic authorities, respecting the use by through truck traffic of streets and highways within the limits of, and under the jurisdiction of, any city, town or borough of this state for the protection and safety of the public.

If said office determines that the prohibition of through truck traffic on any street or highway is necessary because of an immediate and imminent threat to the public health and safety and the local traffic authority is precluded for any reason from acting on such prohibition, the office, if it is not otherwise precluded from so acting, may impose such prohibition.

(d) (1) Said office may place and maintain traffic control signals, signs, markings and other safety devices, which it deems to be in the interests of public safety, upon such highways as come within the jurisdiction of said office as set forth in section 14-297.

(2) On and after October 1, 2025, said office shall require each installation and reinstallation of white and yellow longitudinal pavement markings on a highway to be with paint containing retro- reflective glass beads and in accordance with the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, as amended from time to time.

(e) The traffic authority of any city, town or borough may place and maintaintraffic controlsignals, signs, markingsandother safety devices upon the highways under its jurisdiction, and all such signals, devices, signs and markings shall conform to the regulations established by said office in accordance with this chapter, and such traffic authority shall, with respect to traffic control signals, conform to the provisions of section 14-299.

LCO No.

5065 13 of 21 Raised Bill No.1375 Sec.

8.

(NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) (a) For the purposes of this section, (1) "unsafe driving instance" means an occurrence of unsafe driving that can be reported by a pedestrian with some or all of the following information:

(A) The date and time of the occurrence, (B) the location of the occurrence, (C) a description of the vehicle or vehicles involved in the occurrence, (D) a description of the unsafe behavior or driving, (E) the name of the pedestrian, and (F) a photograph, video or output from a mobile application detailing the occurrence;

and (2) "law enforcement unit" and "police officer" have the same meanings as provided in section 7-294a of the general statutes.

(b) Upon the receipt of a pedestrian report of an unsafe driving instance to a law enforcement unit, the law enforcement unit may:

(1) Establish a separate process to collect reports of unsafe driving instances, (2) establish a process to aggregate such reports, (3) respond to such reports regardless of whether the reporting pedestrian reported such pedestrian's name or chose to remain anonymous, and (4) use the reports of aggregated unsafe driving instances to inform decision- making, assist with the selection of roads for general traffic enforcement andassignpolice officerstoreportedareasto identify andissuecitations for motor vehicle violations.

Sec.

9.

(a)sSB1375 The/ commissionerFile may,No. subject to the provisions of chapter 67, employ such agents, assistants and employees as [he] the commissioner deems necessary to carry out [his] the commissioner's duties and responsibilities.

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540 (a) The commissioner may, subject to the provisions of chapter 67, employ such agents, assistants and employees as [he] the commissioner deems necessary to carry out [his] the commissioner's duties and responsibilities.

(b) The commissioner shall assign employees to support the adoption and implementation of Complete Streets standards or policies, as described in section11206oftheInfrastructure Investment andJobs Act, LCOP. No.

5065 14 of 21 Raised Bill No.1375 P.

10.8.

(b) The Vision Zero Council, established pursuantunder to section 13b-23b of the general statutes, inand consultation with the JudicialChief Branch,State's Attorney shall jointly study and make recommendations concerning the feasibility of leveraging intelligent speed assistance devices to address speeding and recklessdrivinginthestate.Suchstudyshall,ataminimum,(1)examinereckless whether sufficient evidence exists to show that the use of intelligent speed assistance devices changes driving behavior and improves road safety, (2) consider the different types and availability of such devices, (3) estimate the costs to the motor vehicle operator associated with the installation and maintenance of such devices, (4) examine whether such devicesworkaccuratelyandreliablyinunsupervisedenvironmentsand whether such devices are capable of producing evidence showing such device has not been bypassed, circumvented or tampered with, and (5) if recommending the use of such devices in the state,state. (A) identify if the installation of such device would be in lieu of, or in addition to, a prescribed penalty or suspension of a motor vehicle operator's license and if such installation would be mandatory or discretionary, (B) identify the types and number of traffic violations that would require or permit the installation of such devices, (C) discuss if any such requirement to install an intelligent speed assistance device should apply differently to motor vehicle operators based upon the age or driving history of the operator, and (D) discuss necessary components of a regulatory framework that would be necessary to ensure the proper and accurate use of such devices.

LCOThe No.Vision Zero Council and Chief State's Attorney may partner with an institution of higher education or national transportation research entity to perform such study.

5065Such 15study ofshall, 21at Raiseda Billminimum, No.1375(1) (c)examine Notwhether latersufficient thanevidence Januaryexists 15,to 2026,show that the counciluse shallof submitintelligent itsspeed findingsandanyrecommendations,includinganyproposedlegislation,assistance todevices changes driving behavior and improves road safety, (2) consider the jointdifferent standingtypes committeeand availability of such devices, (3) estimate the Generalcosts Assemblyassociated havingwith cognizancethe installation and maintenance of matterssuch relatingdevices to transportation,the inmotor accordancevehicle withoperator and the provisionsstate, of(4) sectionexamine 11-4awhether such devices work accurately and reliably in unsupervised environments and whether such devices are capable of theproducing generalevidence statutes.showing such device sSB1375 / File No.

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540 has not been bypassed, circumvented or tampered with, and (5) if recommending the use of such devices in the state, (A) identify if the installation of such device would be in lieu of, or in addition to, a prescribed penalty or suspension of a motor vehicle operator's license and if such installation would be mandatory or discretionary, (B) identify the types and number of traffic violations that would require or permit the installation of such devices, (C) discuss if any such requirement to install an intelligent speed assistance device should apply differently to motor vehicle operators based upon the age or driving history of the operator, and (D) discuss necessary components of a regulatory framework that would be necessary to ensure the proper and accurate use of such devices.

(c) Not later than January 15, 2026, the Vision Zero Council and the Chief State's Attorney shall submit their findings and any recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.

11.9.

[The] (3)sSB1375 Except/ asFile providedNo. in subdivision (4) of this subsection, the commissioner may require any motor vehicleoperator overtwenty-four years of age, who has been convicted of a moving violation or a suspension violation or a combination of said violations, committed on three or more occasions to attend a motor vehicle operator's retraining program.

(4)540 The13 commissionersSB1375 shallFile require (A) any motor vehicle operator convicted of traveling more than seventy-five miles per hour, (B) any person operating a commercial motor vehicle convicted of traveling more than sixty-five miles per hour in a highway work zone, as defined in section 14-212d, [or] and (C) any [person] motor vehicle operator LCO No.

5065540 16(3) Except as provided in subdivision (4) of 21this Raisedsubsection, Billthe No.1375commissioner may require any motor vehicleoperator overtwenty-four years of age, who has been convicted ofaof violationofa section14-222ormoving subdivision(1)ofviolation subsectionor (c)a suspension violation or a combination of sectionsaid 14-224,violations, committed on three or more occasions to attend a motor vehicle operator's retraining program.

(4) The commissioner shall require (A) any motor vehicle operator convicted of traveling more than seventy-five miles per hour, (B) any person operating a commercial motor vehicle convicted of traveling more than sixty-five miles per hour in a highway work zone, as defined in section 14-212d, [or] and (C) any [person] motor vehicle operator convicted ofa violationof section14-222or subdivision(1)of subsection (c) of section 14-224, to attend a motor vehicle operator's retraining program.

(2) The retraining program shall be offered by the Department of Motor Vehicles or by any other organization certified by the commissioner to conduct such program in person in a congregate setting, through distance learning or through a combination of both in- personsSB1375 and/ distanceFile learning,No. provided such distance learning has interactive components such as mandatory interactions, participation or testing.

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540 person and distance learning, provided such distance learning has interactive components such as mandatory interactions, participation or testing.

(3) Each organization or drivers' school seeking certification or recertification to conduct such retraining program shall submit an LCOapplication No.to the department in such form as the commissioner shall require and an application fee of three hundred fifty dollars.

5065 17 of 21 Raised Bill No.1375 application to the department in such form as the commissioner shall require and an application fee of three hundred fifty dollars.

and (E)sSB1375 [electronically]/ ElectronicallyFile transmitNo. information concerning enrollment and class completion to the commissioner at such times and in such form as the commissioner shall prescribe.

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540 (E) [electronically] Electronically transmit information concerning enrollment and class completion to the commissioner at such times and in such form as the commissioner shall prescribe.

The applicant shall LCOsubmit No.to the commissioner any information pertaining to current or past criminal or civil actions.

5065 18 of 21 Raised Bill No.1375 submit to the commissioner any information pertaining to current or past criminal or civil actions.

(d) The commissioner shall adopt regulationsregulations, in accordance with chapter 5454, to implement the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section.

12.10.

Subsection (e) of section 22a-202 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025):sSB1375 / File No.

(e)540 (1)16 AssSB1375 aFile part of the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate program, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall also establish and administer a program to provide rebates or vouchers to residents of the state who LCO No.

5065540 192025): of 21 Raised Bill No.1375 purchase an electric bicycle.

(e) (1) As a part of the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate program, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall also establish and administer a program to provide rebates or vouchers to residents of the state who purchase an electric bicycle.

The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to an adaptive electric bicycle orto electricbe personalused assistanceby mobilitya device,resident aswith defined in section 14-289h, prescribed by a healthphysical caredisability. provider.

Sec.

13.

(Effective from passage) Upon receipt of an application concerning the construction of any development that would impact trafficat theintersectionofConnecticut Route 71andConnecticut Route 9 in the city of New Britain, the Department of Transportation and the Office of State Traffic Administration shall not issue a state highway right-of-way encroachment permit or certificate of operation pursuant to section 14-311 of the general statutes for such development until (1) a traffic study is performed by such department or office, and (2) the results of such traffic study are submitted to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters LCO No.

5065 20 of 21 Raised Bill No.

1375 relating to transportation.

3 October 1, 2025 14-289g October 1, 2025 Sec.

4 October 1, 2025 14-296aa Sec.sSB1375 / File No.

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540 Sec.

7 OctoberJuly 1, 2025 14-29813b-10 Sec.

8 Octoberfrom 1,passage 2025 New section Sec.

9 JulyOctober 1, 2025 13b-1014-111g Sec.

10 fromJuly passage1, New2025 section22a-202(e) Sec.Statement of Legislative Commissioners:

11In OctoberSection 1,4(a)(8), 2025clause 14-111gdesignators Sec.were added for clarity and "that is not in full view of the operator in a normal driving position" was inserted after "rear seats of such motor vehicle" for consistency with the changes being made in Section 4(a)(2).

12TRA JulyJoint 1,Favorable 2025Subst. 22a-202(e) Sec.

13sSB1375 from/ passageFile NewNo. section Statement of Purpose:

To540 increase18 penaltiessSB1375 forFile unsafeNo. driving, restrict driving in the extreme left lane, require helmets for certain operators of motorcycles and bicycles, redefine "mobile electronic device", prohibit open alcoholic beverage containers in motor vehicles, require reflective paint on highways, permit the reporting of instances of unsafe driving, support Complete Streets projects and prioritization plans, study the use of intelligent speed assistance devices, require an operator to complete the operator's retraining program after the first conviction of reckless driving, revise the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate program and restrict the issuance of certain right-of- way encroachment permits and certificates of operation.

[Proposed540 deletionsThe following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are enclosedprepared infor brackets.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.

ProposedIn additionsgeneral, arefiscal indicatedimpacts byare underline,based exceptupon that when the entire text of a billvariety or resolution or a section of ainformational billsources, orincluding resolutionthe isanalyst’s new,professional itknowledge. is not underlined.] LCO No.

5065Whenever 21applicable, agency data is consulted as part of 21the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 26 $ FY 27 $ Judicial Dept.

(Probation) GF - Potential Minimal Minimal Cost State Revenues Various - Minimal Minimal Potential Revenue Gain Note:

GF=General Fund;

Various=Various Municipal Impact:

None Explanation Section 1 increases the fine for not yielding to pedestrians by $250 (from $500 to $750) resulting in a potential revenue gain to the state.

1 Section2 expandsthe circumstancesinwhichit is prohibitedto drive in the extreme left lane resulting in a potential revenue gain to the state from fines.

2 Section 3 increases the age for which helmets on motorcycles are required from 18 to 21 which results in a potential cost to the Judicial Department for probation and a potential revenue gain to the General Fund from fines.

On average, the marginal cost for supervision in the In FY 24, 332 charges were recorded for this offense under CGS 14-300 with $45,420 in associated revenue collected.

2In FY 24, 907 charges were recorded for this offense under CGS 14-230a with $69,824 in associated revenue collected.

In FY 24, 13 offenses under CGS 14-289g were recorded with $364 in associated revenue collected.

sSB1375 / File No.

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540 community is less than $600 each year for adults and $450 each year for juveniles.

Section 4 expands the definition of distracted driving resulting in a potential revenue gain to the state from fines.

5 Section 5 creates an infraction for having an open alcoholic beverage container in the passenger area of a vehicle, which results in a potential revenue gain to the state.

Infractions are not crimes and are punishable by fines that usually range from $100 to $300.

This section is expected to bring Connecticut into compliance with federal transportation law, which would remove a penalty that directs a percentage of the state's federally funded highway construction funding to the state's federally funded highway safety programs.

Section 7 requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to assign employees to support the adoption of Complete Streets standards or policies, and does not result in a fiscal impact because it comports to current DOT operations.

Section 9 requires drivers convicted of certain offenses to take a Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) approved operator retraining program upon the first offense rather than the third.

This section does not have a fiscal impact because the programs are operated by third party vendors (and that generally charge an $85 fee) rather than DMV.

Section10expandseligibilitytocovervariousadaptivee-bikesunder the e-bike voucher program and requires the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to give priority vouchers to residents with physical disabilities.

This is not anticipated to result in additional 4Probation 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.

In FY 24, 16,832 offenses under CGS 14-296aa were recorded with $1,703,353 in associated revenue collected.

sSB1375 / File No.

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540 costs to DEEP, as DEEP caps programmatic costs.

However, expanded eligibility could result in a redistribution of vouchers to eligible participants.

The other sections of the bill are not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact to the state or municipalities.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to the actual number of offenses, or as otherwise described.

sSB1375 / File No.

540 21 sSB1375 File No.

540 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 1375 AN ACT CONCERNING HIGHWAY, PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

SUMMARY § 1 — FAILURE TO YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS Increases, from $500 to $750, the penalty for failure to yield to pedestrians and other related violations § 2 — DRIVING IN EXTREME LEFT LANE ON LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAYS Extends prohibition on driving in the extreme left lane on limited accesshighwayswithmorethantwolanesgoinginthesamedirection to all vehicles, with certain exceptions § 3 — MOTORCYCLE HELMETS Increases, from age 18 to 21, the age under which all motorcycle and motor-driven cycle drivers and passengers must wear a helmet § 4 — DISTRACTED DRIVING Modifiesthedistracteddrivinglawbyexplicitlyprohibitingwatching or playing a video while driving, including on an installed screen or other visual display § 5 — OPEN CONTAINERS IN MOTOR VEHICLES Generally prohibits drinking from or possessing an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle’s passenger area, with exceptions for for-hire transportation and RVs § 6 — HELMET REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN RIDING BICYCLES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES Increases, from age 16 to age 18, the age under which children must wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, electric bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, skateboard,orelectricfootscooter orwhile using roller skates or roller blades sSB1375 / File No.

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540 § 7 — COMPLETE STREETS IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT Requires DOT to assign employees to support the adoption of Complete Streets standards or policies throughout the state § 8 — INTELLIGENT SPEED ASSISTANCE DEVICES STUDY Requires the Vision Zero Council and the chief state’s attorney to jointly study, and make recommendations on, the feasibility of addressing speeding and reckless driving with intelligent speed assistance devices § 9 — OPERATOR’S RETRAINING PROGRAM AND RECKLESS DRIVING Requires drivers to attend an operator’s retraining program upon their first conviction of reckless driving § 10 — CHEAPR ADAPTIVE E-BIKE INCENTIVES Exempts adaptive e-bikes from the $3,000 MSRP cap and adds residents with physical disabilities to the list of residents who must get priority for vouchers BACKGROUND SUMMARY This bill makes various changes related to open alcoholic beverage containers in motor vehicles, helmet requirements, distracted driving, reckless driving, failure to yield to pedestrians, left lane driving, adaptive e-bikes, and Complete Streets.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

October 1, 2025, except the (1) Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) and Complete Streets provisions are effective July 1, 2025, and (2) speed assistance device study is effective upon passage.

§ 1 — FAILURE TO YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS Increases, from $500 to $750, the penalty for failure to yield to pedestrians and other related violations The bill increases, from $500 to $750, the maximum fine for drivers who:

1.

fail to yield (or slow down and stop if necessary) to a pedestrian who is crossing the roadway within a crosswalk or is at the curb indicating intent to cross;

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540 2.

pass a vehicle that is stopped at a crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross;

or 3.

fail to slow down when approaching and yield to a pedestrian (a) who is blind and carrying a white cane or ared tipped white cane or (b) being guided by a service animal.

§ 2 — DRIVING IN EXTREME LEFT LANE ON LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAYS Extends prohibition on driving in the extreme left lane on limited access highways with more than two lanes going in the same direction to all vehicles, with certain exceptions By law, all vehicles must be driven on the right, with certain exceptions such as passing and on highways divided into three or more lanes (CGS § 14-230(a)).

Current law prohibits, with certain exceptions, motor vehicles with commercial registrations, motor buses, vehicles with trailers, and school buses from driving in the extreme left lane on limited access highways with three or more lanes going in the same direction.

The bill prohibits driving any other motor vehicle in the extreme left lane on these highways.

The bill’s prohibition does not apply to vehicles driving in the extreme left lane (1) to pass;

(2) on a police officer’s direction;

(3) when the entrance or exit is on the right (only for the time period necessary to enter or exit);

(4) when the vehicle is an emergency vehicle;

(5) when maintaining, repairing, or constructing the highway;

or (5) when traffic congestion makes it necessary.

It also does not apply to emergency vehicles.

Under current law, the prohibition on vehicles with commercial registration and other vehicles does not apply (1) when directed to drive in the extreme left by a police officer or (2) when the entrance or exit is on the left (only for the necessary time period).

Violations of the bill’s prohibition are infractions, subject to a fine of $85.

sSB1375 / File No.

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540 § 3 — MOTORCYCLE HELMETS Increases, from age 18 to 21, the age under which all motorcycle and motor-driven cycle drivers and passengers must wear a helmet The bill increases, from age 18 to 21, the age under which all motorcycle and motor-driven cycle drivers and passengers must wear a helmet meeting federal helmet safety standards.

Current law only requires helmets for (1) drivers and passengers under age 18 and (2) motorcycle instruction permit holders of any age (CGS § 14-40a).

Under the bill, as under existing law, violations of the helmet requirement are infractions (see BACKGROUND) and subject to the $90 fine that applies under current law to drivers and passengers under age 18.

By law, unchanged by the bill, a first offense by a motorcycle instruction permit holder is an infraction and subject to a $50 fine, and a subsequent offense is a class D misdemeanor, subject to a fine of up to $250, up to 30 days in prison, or both.

Bylaw,amotor-drivencycleisamotorcycle,motorscooter,orbicycle with an attached motor (except an electric bicycle) that has a (1) seat height of at least 26 inches and (2) motor with a piston displacement under 50 cubic centimeters (cc).

As under current law, the helmet requirement does not apply to autocycles.

§ 4 — DISTRACTED DRIVING Modifies the distracted driving law by explicitly prohibiting watching or playing a video while driving, including on an installed screen or other visual display The bill modifies the distracted driving law by explicitly prohibiting watching or playing a video onamobileelectronicdevice while driving.

It also expands the definition of “mobile electronic device” to include any installed screen, monitor, or other visual display.

As under existing law, mobile electronic device also includes handheld or portable electronic equipment capable of providing data communication between two or more people, including (1) a text messaging device, a paging device, a personal digital assistant, or a laptop computer;

(2) equipment that plays video games or digital video disks;

and (3) equipment that takes or transmits digital photos.

It does sSB1375 / File No.

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540 not include audio equipment or equipment installed to provide navigation, emergency assistance to the driver, or video entertainment to rear passengers.

By law, the fine for distracted driving is (1) $200 for the first violation, (2) $375 for the secondviolation, and (3) $625 for the thirdor subsequent violation.

§ 5 — OPEN CONTAINERS IN MOTOR VEHICLES Generally prohibits drinking from or possessing an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle’s passenger area, with exceptions for for-hire transportation and RVs The bill prohibits consuming or possessing an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle’s “passenger area” while the vehicle is on a public road.

An open alcoholic beverage container is a bottle, can, or other receptacle that contains an alcoholic beverage and is either (1) open or has a broken seal or (2) partially empty.

Under federal law, states must adopt an open container prohibition or face fiscal penalties (see BACKGROUND).

The bill’s prohibition does not apply to passengers in (1) vehicles designed, maintained, and primarily used as for-hire passenger transportation, including taxis, motor buses, and livery vehicles (e.g., limousines) or (2) a recreational vehicle’s (RV) living quarters.

Violations of the bill’s provisions are infractions (see BACKGROUND).

Under existing law, drivers who drink an alcoholic beverage while driving are guilty of a class C misdemeanor (punishable by up to three months in prison, a fine of up to $500, or both) (CGS § 53a-213).

Passenger Area The bill’s open container prohibition applies to occupants of a vehicle’s passenger area, which is (1) the area designed to seat the driver and any passenger while the vehicle is moving and (2) any area that is readily accessible to the driver or a passenger while sitting.

It does not include (1) locked containers (such as glove compartments or consoles);

(2) the trunk;

or (3) in motor vehicles without trunks, the area behind sSB1375 / File No.

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540 the last upright seat or any area not normally occupied by a driver or passenger.

§ 6 — HELMET REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN RIDING BICYCLES AND SIMILAR VEHICLES Increases, from age 16 to age 18, the age under which children must wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, electric bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, skateboard, or electric foot scooter or while using roller skates or roller blades The billincreases, fromage 16to age 18,theage under whichchildren must wear a helmet while (1) riding a bicycle, electric bicycle, nonmotorized scooter, skateboard, or electric foot scooter or (2) using roller skates or roller blades.

Under existing law, unchanged by the bill, this requirement applies while riding these vehicles on the traveled portion of a road and at any park or skateboarding park.

As under existing law, helmets must meet the minimum specifications established by the American National Standards Institute, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission,theAmericanSocietyforTestingandMaterialsortheSnell Memorial Foundation’s Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling.

By law, failure to wear a helmet is not considered a violation or an offense and cannot be considered contributory negligence by a parent or a child or be admissible in any civil action.

Law enforcement officers may issue a verbal warning to a child’s parent or guardian that the child is not complying with the requirement.

§ 7 — COMPLETE STREETS IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT Requires DOT to assign employees to support the adoption of Complete Streets standards or policies throughout the state The bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to assign employees to support the adoption of Complete Streets standards or policies throughout the state.

The support must include administering grants and giving incentives to municipalities to finalize projects or prioritization plans that incorporate Complete Streets standards or policies.

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540 The federalInfrastructure InvestmentandJobsAct (IIJA),alsoknown as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, defines Complete Streets standards or policies as those that ensure the safe and adequate accommodation of all users of the transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, children, older individuals, individuals with disabilities, motorists, and freight vehicles (P.L.

117-58, § 11206).

IIJA requires states and metropolitan planning organizations to use a portion of their planning and research funds for Complete Streets activities.

§ 8 — INTELLIGENT SPEED ASSISTANCE DEVICES STUDY Requires the Vision Zero Council and the chief state’s attorney to jointly study, and make recommendations on, the feasibility of addressing speeding and reckless driving with intelligent speed assistance devices The bill requires the Vision Zero Council (see BACKGROUND) and the chief state’s attorney to jointly study, and make recommendations on, the feasibility of addressing speeding and reckless driving with devices that actively monitor and limit a vehicle’s speed based on the speed limit where the vehicle is being operated (i.e.

intelligent speed assistance devices).

In preparing the study, the bill allows them to partner with a higher education institution or national transportation research entity.

They must submit their findings and recommendations to the Transportation Committee by January 15, 2026.

Under the bill, the study must, at a minimum:

1.

determine if there is enough evidence to show whether the devices change driving behavior and improve road safety;

2.

consider the different types of devices and their availability, as well as estimate installation and maintenance costs to the driver and to the state;

and 3.

examine the devices’ accuracy and reliability in unsupervised environments and whether they can produce evidence that they have not been bypassed, circumvented, or tampered with.

If the study recommends using the devices in the state, it must also:

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540 1.

identify whether installing the device would be (a) mandatory or discretionary and (b) instead of, or in addition to, a penalty or license suspension;

2.

indicate the types and number of violations that would require or permit use of the device;

3.

discuss whether any installation requirement should apply differently based on the driver’s age or driving history;

and 4.

outline necessary components of a regulatory framework that would be needed to ensure devices were used accurately and properly.

§ 9 — OPERATOR’S RETRAINING PROGRAM AND RECKLESS DRIVING Requires drivers to attend an operator’s retraining program upon their first conviction of reckless driving The bill requires drivers to attend an operator’s retraining program upon their first conviction of reckless driving.

Under current law, reckless driving is considered a “moving violation” for purposes of the operator’s retraining program.

The motor vehicles commissioner may (and does, in practice) require drivers convicted of three moving or suspension violations (or two, for drivers under age 25) to attend the operator’s retraining program.

By law, the program completion date stays on a driver’s record until months have passed without the driver committing any more moving or suspension violations.

If the driver commits another moving or suspension violation during that period, the commissioner must suspend the person’s driver’s license or operating privilege for (1) 30 days upon a first conviction, (2) 60 days upon a second conviction, and (3) 90 days upon a third or subsequent violation.

§ 10 — CHEAPR ADAPTIVE E-BIKE INCENTIVES Exempts adaptive e-bikes from the $3,000 MSRP cap and adds residents with physical disabilities to the list of residents who must get priority for vouchers This bill exempts adaptive e-bikes from the $3,000 manufacturer’s sSB1375 / File No.

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540 suggested retail price (MSRP) cap for the CHEAPR e-bike voucher program, which applies by law until June 30, 2027.

Under current law, an e-bike’s MSRP must be under the cap to be eligible for a voucher under the program;

under the bill, adaptive e-bikes with MSRPs above that amount are eligible for a voucher if they are to be used by a resident with a disability.

By law, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) administers the e-bike voucher program as part of CHEAPR.

The law generally requires DEEP to set most of the program’s parameters administratively, including eligibility and voucher amounts, but it (1) sets a minimum voucher amount at $500 and (2) requires DEEP to give priority for vouchers to environmental justice community residents, those with incomes of no more than 300% of the poverty level, and those who participate in certain state and federal assistance programs.

The bill adds residents with physical disabilities to the list of residents who must get priority for vouchers.

BACKGROUND Federal Open Container Law Requirement Federal law requires states to adopt an open container law that meets federal compliance criteria (23 U.S.C.

§ 154).

To comply, the state law must apply to (1) possession and consumption, (2) the entire passenger area, (3) all alcoholic beverages, (4) all occupants, and (5) all motor vehicles.

It must also provide for primary enforcement, meaning that lawenforcement may issueacitationuponobserving someoneviolating the law.

It allows states to provide exceptions for (1) open containers stored in a locked container or, in vehicles without trunks, behind the last seat and (2) passengers in a for-hire transportation vehicle or an RV’s living quarters (23 C.F.R.

§ 1270.4).

States without a compliant law must transfer 2.5% of their annual apportionment under specified highway construction programs (the National Highway Performance Program and the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program) to specified traffic safety programs (the 402 Highway Safety DUI Countermeasures Program or sSB1375 / File No.

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540 the Hazard Elimination Program) (23 C.F.R.

§ 1270.6).

Infractions Infractions are punishable by fines, usually set by Superior Court judges, of between $35 and $90, plus a $20 or $35 surcharge and an additional fee based on the fine’s amount.

There may also be other applicable charges depending on the type of infraction.

For example, certain motor vehicle infractions trigger a Special Transportation Fund surcharge of 50% of the fine.

An infraction is not a crime and violators can generally pay the fine by mail without making a court appearance.

Vision Zero Council PA 21-28, § 2, establishedtheVisionZero Counciland charged it with developing a statewide policy and interagency approach to eliminating all transportation-related fatalities and severe injuries to pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, drivers, and passengers.

It must consider ways to improve safety in all transportation modes using data, new partnerships, safe planning, and community-based solutions to achieve the goal of zero transportation-related fatalities.

By law, the council is composed of the DOT, Department of Public Health, and Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection commissioners and any other agency commissioners they invite.

The council may establish committees to advise it in carrying out its duties.

Related Bills sSB 6862, favorably reported by the Transportation Committee, modifies the definition of motor-driven cycle and helmet requirements pertaining to e-bikes.

sHB 7060, favorably reported by the Transportation Committee, makes violating the distracted driving law on a limited access highway a reckless driving violation.

sSB1375 / File No.

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540 COMMITTEE ACTION Transportation Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 25 Nay 9 (03/19/2025) sSB1375 / File No.

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