ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The Maryland Senate has passed a measure to increase penalties for distracted driving.
The Senate passed the bill 46-0 on Thursday. It would apply to people who cause serious accidents while text messaging on hand-held cellphones.
Sen. Roger Manno, D-Montgomery, is sponsoring the measure. It would impose a three-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $5,000 on a driver whose texting on a hand-held phone cause an accident resulting in serious injury or death.
The measure is known as Jake's Law after 5-year-old Jake Owen, who was killed in a crash in 2011.
The House of Delegates has passed a separate bill.
