2014 -- S 2709

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LC004253

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - RHODE ISLAND UNIFORM

COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE ACT

     

     Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Bates, Walaska, Lombardo, and Felag

     Date Introduced: March 05, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Revenue)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 31-10.3-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-10.3 entitled "Rhode

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Island Uniform Commercial Driver's License Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     31-10.3-3. Definitions. -- Notwithstanding any other provisions of title 31, the following

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definitions apply to this chapter unless the context requires otherwise:

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     (1) "Administrator" means the division of motor vehicles administrator, the chief

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executive of the division of motor vehicles, an agency within the department of revenue.

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     (2) "Alcohol or alcoholic beverage" means (a) beer as defined in 26 U.S.C. 5052(a), of

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the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; (b) wine of not less than one-half of one percentum (0.5%) of

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alcohol by volume; or (c) distilled spirits as defined in section 5002(a)(8), of said code.

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     (3) "Base license" means the operator's or driver's license without any classifications,

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endorsements, or restrictions.

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     (4) "Bus" means every motor vehicle designed for carrying sixteen (16) or more

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passengers (including the driver).

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     (5) "Cancellation of driver's license" means the annulment or termination by formal

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action of the department of a person's driver's license because of some error or defect in the

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license (or application) or because the licensee is no longer entitled to the license.

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     (6) "Certified commercial driving instructor" means any person who gives commercial

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driver training or who offers a course in driver training, and who is certified as such by the

 

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administrator.

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     (7) "Commerce" means:

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     (i) Trade, traffic, and transportation within the jurisdiction of the United States within the

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state; between a place in a state and a place outside the state, including a place outside the United

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States; and

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     (ii) Trade, traffic, and transportation in the United States which that affects any trade,

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traffic, and transportation in paragraph (i) of this subdivision.

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     (8) "Commercial license" means a license issued by the department in accordance with

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the standards contained in Part 383 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, referred to as

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49 C.F.R. Part 383, as it may be revised from time to time, to an individual which that authorizes

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the individual to operate a class of commercial motor vehicle.

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     (9) "Commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle, or combination of vehicles, used

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to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle:

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     (i) Has a gross combination weight rating of twenty-six thousand one (26,001) or more

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pounds, of a towed unit with a gross vehicle rating of more than ten thousand pounds (10,000

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lbs.), or has a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one (26,001) or more pounds;

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     (ii) Is designed to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers, including the driver; or

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     (iii) Is transporting hazardous materials as defined in this section.

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     (10) "Controlled substance" means any substance as classified under ยง 102(6) of the

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Controlled Substance Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6)) and includes all substances as listed in schedules I

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through V of Part 1308 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, referred to as 21 C.F.R.

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Part 1308 as they may be revised from time to time.

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     (11) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt or a determination that a

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person has violated, or failed to comply with, the law in a court of original jurisdiction, or by an

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authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure

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the person's appearance in court, a plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted by the court, the

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payment of a fine or court cost or violation of condition of release without bail, regardless of

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whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated.

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     (12) "Department" means the department of revenue acting directly or through its duly

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authorized officers and agents.

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     (13) "Disqualification" means withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial motor

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vehicle due to:

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     (i) The suspension, revocation, or cancellation of a commercial driver's license by the

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state or jurisdiction of issuance; or

 

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     (ii) Any withdrawal of a person's privileges to drive a commercial motor vehicle by a

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state or other jurisdiction as the result of a violation of state or local law relating to motor vehicle

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traffic control (other than parking, vehicle weight or vehicle defect violations); or

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     (iii) A determination by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that a person is

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not qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle under Part 391 of Title 49 of the Code of

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Federal Regulations, referred to as 49 C.F.R. Part 391, as they may be revised from time to time.

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     (14) "Driver's license" means a license issued by the department to an individual which

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that authorizes the individual to operate a motor vehicle on the highways.

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     (15) "Employee" means any operator of a commercial motor vehicle, including full-time,

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regularly employed drivers; casual, intermittent or occasional drivers; leased drivers; and

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independent, owner-operator contractors (while in the course of operating a commercial motor

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vehicle) who are either directly employed by or under lease to an employer.

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     (16) "Employer" means any person, including the United States, a state, or a political

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subdivision of a state, who or that owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle or assigns persons

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to operate such a vehicle.

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     (17) "Farm tractors" means every motor vehicle designated and used primarily as a farm

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implement for drawing plows, mowing machines, and other implements of husbandry.

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     (18) "Fatality" means the death of a person as a result of motor vehicle accident.

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     (19) "Felony" means any offense under state or federal law that is punishable by death or

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imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and/or fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more.

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     (20) "Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)" means the value specified by the

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manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single or a combination (articulated). The

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GVWR of a combination (articulated) vehicle (commonly referred to as the "gross combination

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weight rating" or GCWR) is the GVWR of the power unit plus the GVWR of the towed unit or

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units.

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     (21) "Hazardous materials" means any material that has been designated as hazardous

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under Part 172 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, referred to as 49 CFR Part 172 or

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any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in Part 73 of Title 42 of the Code of

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Federal Regulations, referred to as 42 CFR Part 73 as they may be revised from time to time.

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     (22) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semi-trailer propelled

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or drawn by mechanical power and used on highways; or any other vehicle required to be

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registered under the laws of this state; but does not include any vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer,

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or semi-trailer operated exclusively on a rail.

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     (23) "Operator's license" means driver's license.

 

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     (24) "School bus" means a commercial motor vehicle used to transport preprimary,

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primary, or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home;, as and to and

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from school-sponsored events. School bus does not include a bus used as a common carrier.

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     (25) "Secretary" means the sSecretary of tTransportation of the United States.

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     (26) "Serious traffic violation" means a conviction when operating a commercial motor

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vehicle except weight, defect, and parking violations of:

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     (i) Excessive speeding involving any single offense for any speed of fifteen miles per

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hour (15 mph) or more above the posted speed limit;

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     (ii) Reckless driving as defined by state or local law or regulation including, but not

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limited to, offenses of driving a commercial motor vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the

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safety of person or property;

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     (iii) Improper or erratic lane changes;

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     (iv) Following the vehicle ahead too closely;

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     (v) A violation, arising in connection with a fatal accident, of state or local law relating to

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motor vehicle traffic control;

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     (vi) Operating a commercial motor vehicle without obtaining a commercial license;

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     (vii) Operating a commercial motor vehicle without having his or her commercial license

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in his or her immediate possession; or

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     (viii) Operating a commercial motor vehicle without possessing a commercial driver's

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license containing the endorsements or classifications applicable to the type of vehicle being

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operated or for the passengers or type of cargo being transported.; or

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     (ix) Operating a commercial motor vehicle while using a hand-held mobile telephone.

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     (27) "State" means a state of the United States and the District of Columbia.

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     (28) "Tank vehicle" means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport

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any liquid or gaseous materials within a tank that is either permanently or temporarily attached to

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the vehicle or the chassis. These vehicles include, but are not limited to, cargo tanks and portable

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tanks as defined in Part 171 of title Title 49 of the Federal Hazardous Material Regulations,

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referred to as 49 CFR Part 171 as they may be revised from time to time. However, this definition

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does not include portable tanks having a rated capacity under one thousand (1,000) gallons.

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     (29) "Withdrawal" means any suspension, revocation, cancellation, disqualification, out-

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of-service of any license, privilege, endorsement, restriction, or classification of any license.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 31-10.3 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Uniform

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Commercial Driver's License Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     31-10.3-38. Prohibition on use of hand-held mobile telephones while driving a

 

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commercial motor vehicle.-- (a) Definitions. For the purpose of this section only:

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     (1) "Driving" means operating a commercial motor vehicle on a highway, including

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while temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic control device, or other momentary

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delays. Driving does not include operating a commercial motor vehicle when the driver has

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moved the vehicle to the side of, or off, a highway and has halted in a location where the vehicle

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can safely remain stationary.

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     (2) "Mobile telephone" means a mobile communication device that falls under or uses

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any commercial mobile radio service, as defined in Part 20.3 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal

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Regulations, referred to as 47 CFR 20.3. It does not include two-way or citizens band radio

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services.

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     (3) "Use a hand-held mobile telephone" means: (i) Using at least one hand to hold a

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mobile telephone to conduct a voice communication;

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     (ii) Dialing or answering a mobile telephone by pressing more than a single button; or

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     (iii) Reaching for a mobile telephone in a manner that requires a driver to maneuver so

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that he or she is no longer in a seated driving position, restrained by a seat belt that is installed in

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accordance with Part 393.93 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, referred to as 49

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CFR 393.93, and adjusted in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer's instructions.

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     (b)(1) No driver shall use a hand-held mobile telephone while driving a commercial

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motor vehicle.

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     (2) No motor carrier shall allow, or require its drivers to use, a hand-held mobile

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telephone while driving a commercial motor vehicle.

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     (c) Emergency exception. Using a hand-held mobile telephone is permissible by drivers

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of a commercial motor vehicle when necessary to communicate with law enforcement officials or

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other emergency services.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - RHODE ISLAND UNIFORM

COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE ACT

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     This act would make the use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving a commercial

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motor vehicle a traffic violation in accordance with federal regulations.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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