POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofMotor Vehicles →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
SB 28KENTUCKYSession 2026RSState Billdead
Did Not Advance

Kentucky Bans Holding Mobile Devices While Driving and Sets $100 Fine

Original title: AN ACT relating to operating a motor vehicle.

Last action · March 9, 2026: to Transportation (H)Sponsors: Jimmy Higdon and 3 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

Official description

AN ACT relating to operating a motor vehicle.

Why it matters

All drivers on public highways face new restrictions on mobile device use and a $100 fine for non-compliance, while law enforcement officers are explicitly barred from searching vehicles or seizing devices solely for this offense.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Motor vehicle operators

Drivers face new prohibitions on holding mobile devices, texting, or watching videos while driving, alongside a $100 fine for violations.

Directly affected

Law enforcement officers

Peace officers must observe violations visually before stopping drivers and are restricted from searching vehicles or seizing devices solely for mobile device infractions.

Directly affected

Drivers under the age of eighteen

Young drivers holding permits or provisional licenses are explicitly prohibited from operating a vehicle while using a mobile electronic device.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my phone for GPS navigation while driving?
Yes, using a for navigation is permitted by listening to audio-based content or obtaining traffic and road condition information, provided the device is not held by the operator or supported with any part of the body and does not require typing.
Can a police officer search my car if they stop me for using my phone?
No. Peace officers are explicitly prohibited from searching or requesting to search a motor vehicle, operator, or passenger solely because of a mobile device violation, and cannot seize the device or make a solely for this offense.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the Senate · in House committee.

Procedural history

8 actions
  1. Mar 9, 2026HouseCommittee
    to Transportation (H)
  2. Jan 21, 2026HouseIntroduced
    received in House to Committee on Committees (H)
  3. Jan 20, 2026SenateFloor
    3rd reading, passed 31-7
  4. Jan 16, 2026Senate
    posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, January 20, 2026
  5. Jan 15, 2026SenateFloor
    2nd reading, to Rules
  6. Jan 14, 2026Senate
    reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
Show 2 earlier actions
  1. Jan 12, 2026SenateCommittee
    to Transportation (S)
  2. Jan 6, 2026SenateIntroduced
    introduced in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Jimmy HigdonSenate · District 14RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Gary BoswellSenate · District 8RepublicanCosponsor
Don DouglasSenate · District 22RepublicanCosponsor
Rick GirdlerSenate · District 15RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Shift to Strict Mobile Device Restrictions and Fund Allocation

The legislation standardizes mobile device bans and channels collected fines into specific trust funds supporting brain injury, trauma care, and veterans' programs.

Transportation CabinetState Treasury

Connected Entities

State Treasury, General Assembly, Federal Communications Commission and 2 more
locationState Treasury“Treasury where fines are deposited and allocated”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly“Legislative body enacting the act”Map →
OrganizationFederal Communications Commission“Federal agency referenced regarding commercial testing”Map →
OrganizationTransportation Cabinet“Cabinet responsible for installing signage and administrative regulations”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Vehicle Regulation“Department retaining authority to suspend or revoke carrier certificates and lic”Map →

Sources

Open source document

apps.legislature.ky.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
  • Controversy45
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz75
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record