Weisenberg Spearheads New Texting Law

A bill that makes texting a primary offense in New York, spearheaded by Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg of Long Beach, was signed into law Monday.

Under the new legislation, a motorist who uses a portable electronic device while driving will face a $150 fine and three points on their license, the maximum points for a driving violation.  

The new legislation supplants a prior law the treated texting while driving as a secondary offense in which a motorist had to violate another traffic law at the time in order for a police officer to stop and ticket the driver.  

Weisenberg was the bill’s primary sponsor, and Gov. Cuomo on July 11 signed the bill into law and is effective immediately.  

Devices that are prohibited under the new law include cell phones, personal digital assistants, handheld devices with mobile data access, laptops, pagers, two-way messaging devices and electronic games.