March 17, 2017—On Thursday a bipartisan bill that would ban texting and driving statewide passed in the Texas House by a 113-32 vote. House Bill 62 aims to make it illegal for motorists to read, write or send text messages on handheld phones while driving, unless the vehicle is stopped.
Texting-and-driving offenders would be charged with a misdemeanor, and first-time offenders would be fined $99.
The bill now heads to the Texas Senate. A texting-and-driving bill cleared the Texas House and Senate in 2011, but then-Gov. Rick Perry vetoed the legislation.
