BOSTON (WHDH/AP) — Gov. Charles D. Baker is expected to sign a bill Monday that bans drivers from using hand-held cellphones in Massachusetts.
The Senate voted 38-1 in favor of the bill last Wednesday, while the House approved it on a 153-1 vote last Tuesday.
Baker has expressed support for a ban on drivers using hand-held cellphones and filed a bill earlier this year that included similar language.
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 would also require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to collect data from traffic stops, 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.
Every other New England state already bans drivers from using hand-held cellphones.
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