Connecticut HB 5463: AN ACT CONCERNING THE AUTHORITY OF THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BRING AN ACTION AGAINST A SELLER WHO ENGAGES IN PRICE GOUGING DURING A DISASTER OR EMERGENCY.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5463
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2006

Referred to Committee on TRANSPORTATION

Introduced by:
(TRA)

AN ACT CONCERNING HIGHWAY SAFETY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 14-296aa of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 2
(a) For purposes of this section: [, the following terms have the 3
following meanings: 4
(1) "Mobile telephone" means a cellular, analog, wireless or digital 5
telephone capable of sending or receiving telephone communications 6
without an access line for service. 7
(2) "Using" or "use" means holding a hand-held mobile telephone to, 8
or in the immediate proximity of, the user's ear. 9
(3) "Hand-held mobile telephone" means a mobile telephone with 10
which a user engages in a call using at least one hand. 11
(4) "Hands-free accessory" means an attachment, add-on, built-in 12
feature, or addition to a mobile telephone, whether or not permanently 13

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installed in a motor vehicle, that, when used, allows the vehicle operator 14
to maintain both hands on the steering wheel. 15
(5) "Hands-free mobile telephone" means a hand-held mobile 16
telephone that has an internal feature or function, or that is equipped 17
with an attachment or addition, whether or not permanently part of 18
such hand-held mobile telephone, by which a user engages in a call 19
without the use of either hand, whether or not the use of either hand is 20
necessary to activate, deactivate or initiate a function of such telephone. 21
(6) "Engage in a call" means talking into or listening on a hand-held 22
mobile telephone, but does not include holding a hand-held mobile 23
telephone to activate, deactivate or initiate a function of such telephone. 24
(7) "Immediate proximity" means the distance that permits the 25
operator of a hand-held mobile telephone to hear telecommunications 26
transmitted over such hand-held mobile telephone, but does not require 27
physical contact with such operator's ear.] 28
(1) "Hands-free mode" means the operation of a mobile electronic 29
device by which a user engages in a voice communication or receives 30
audio without touching or holding such device, except to activate, 31
deactivate or initiate with a single touch or swipe of a user's hand. 32
[(8)] (2) "Mobile electronic device" means any hand-held or other 33
portable electronic equipment capable of providing data 34
communication between two or more persons, including, but not 35
limited to, a mobile telephone, a text messaging device, a paging device, 36
a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, equipment that is 37
capable of playing a video game or a digital video disk, [or] equipment 38
on which digital photographs are taken or transmitted, equipment to 39
display a video or moving image or any combination thereof. [, but] 40
"Mobile electronic device" does not include any audio equipment or any 41
equipment installed in a motor vehicle for the purpose of providing 42
navigation, emergency assistance to the operator of such motor vehicle 43
or video entertainment to the passengers in the rear seats of such motor 44
vehicle. 45

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[(9)] (3) "Operating a motor vehicle" means operating a motor vehicle 46
on any highway, [as defined in section 14-1,] including being 47
temporarily stationary due to traffic, road conditions or a traffic control 48
sign or signal, but not including being parked on the side or shoulder of 49
any highway where such vehicle is safely able to remain stationary. 50
(4) "Highway", "commercial motor vehicle" and "authorized 51
emergency vehicle" have the same meanings as provided in section 14-52
1, as amended by this act. 53
(b) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and 54
subsections (c) and (d) of this section, no person shall operate a motor 55
vehicle upon a highway [, as defined in section 14-1, while using a hand-56
held mobile telephone to engage in a call or while using] while (A) 57
holding or supporting a mobile electronic device [. An operator of a 58
motor vehicle who types, sends or reads a text message with a hand-59
held mobile telephone or mobile electronic device while operating a 60
motor vehicle shall be in violation of this section, except that if] with any 61
part of such person's body, (B) using a mobile electronic device, unless 62
such device is being used in a hands-free mode, (C) reading, viewing or 63
typing a text message or other nonvoice message or communication on 64
a mobile electronic device, or (D) a video or moving image on a mobile 65
electronic device or an installed screen or other device of a similar nature 66
is visible to such person while seated in the normal operating position, 67
unless such moving image is a map generated by a navigation system 68
or application on such de