{
  "id": "RL31588",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL31588",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 101391,
      "date": "2004-09-30",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T20:08:07.387193",
      "title": "Mobile Telephones and Motor Vehicle Operation",
      "summary": "In the United States, as well as worldwide, there has been substantial growth in the use of mobile\nwireless telecommunication services (\"mobile telephones\"). The use of mobile telephones by the\ndrivers of motor vehicles has been the subject of certain state and local restrictions.  S. 179  (108th Cong., 1st Sess. (2003)) has been introduced in the 108th Congress to provide some\nfederal\noversight of mobile telephone use by drivers of motor vehicles, by requiring the individual states to\nenact legislation to restrict mobile telephone use by drivers of motor vehicles. Noncomplying states\nwould be subject to the loss of federal highway funds. \n  At the present time, eighteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation\nconcerning the use of mobile telephones by drivers of motor vehicles. The existing state laws vary\ngreatly and are summarized in the report. Some state laws expressly preempt local regulation of\nmobile telephones. As of the date of this report, fifty-three pieces of legislation have been\nintroduced in 2004 in twenty-six states and the District of Columbia concerning the use of mobile\ntelephones by drivers of motor vehicles. The current status of state legislation is summarized\nstate-by-state in the report.\n  Over the years, Congress has repeatedly conditioned the use of federal highway funds to\nencourage states to enact desired transportation-related legislation. For example, Congress has used\nthis legislative device in dealing with drunk driving. The pending federal legislation making federal\nhighway funding contingent on state restriction on the use of mobile telephones by drivers of motor\nvehicles would appear to follow the driving while intoxicated legislative models.\n  This report examines the pending federal legislation, pending and enacted state legislation, and\nthe possible effect that the federal legislation, if enacted, might have on the existing state and local\nregulations.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL31588",
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      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law"
  ]
}