§289. Cellular radio telecommunication device use by operators of school buses prohibited; penalties

            A. No person shall engage in a call on a cellular radio telecommunication device while driving a school bus.

            B. For purposes of this Section, "cellular radio telecommunication device" shall mean a device capable of sending or receiving telephone communications without an access line for service and which requires the operator to dial numbers manually or by voice recognition. It does not include citizens band radios or citizens band radio hybrids or any device with a push-to-talk function used in a similar manner as a citizens band radio or a citizens band radio hybrid.

            C. This Section does not apply to the use of a cellular telecommunication device for the purpose of communicating with any of the following regarding an emergency situation:

            (1) An emergency system response operator, 911 public safety communications dispatcher, or school administrator.

            (2) A hospital or emergency room.

            (3) A physician's office or health clinic.

            (4) An ambulance or fire department rescue service.

            (5) A fire department, fire protection district, or volunteer fire department.

            (6) A law enforcement agency.

            D. A violation of this Section shall be a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, punished by imprisonment for not more than ninety days, or by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or both, in the discretion of the court.

            Acts 2008, No. 355, §1; Acts 2019, No. 377, §2.