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Montana House committee hears Senate Bill 359 hands‑free driving proposal after fatal crashes; sponsors and safety groups urge passage

2742571 · March 21, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Senate Bill 359 would require drivers to use hands‑free technologies for mobile communication; it is not a total cell‑phone ban. The bill received broad support from families of crash victims, law enforcement associations, safety advocates, insurers and automakers at a March 10 House Judiciary hearing, with witnesses citing distraction

Senate Bill 359, a proposal to require hands‑free operation of mobile communications devices while driving, drew broad testimony from family members of crash victims, public‑safety officials and safety advocates during a March 10 House Judiciary Committee hearing.

Sponsor Sen. Sarah Novak said the bill is not a cell‑phone ban but a hands‑free requirement intended to reduce distraction. Novak said she teaches driver education and introduced the bill after a former student, Chloe Worrell, was killed in 2021 by a driver the sponsor said was distracted by social‑media use. “This bill is not a cell phone…

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