Vermont bill would ban cellphone use for anyone under 21

A bill seeking to ban the use of cellphones for anyone under the age of 21 was introduced by a Democratic state senator this week as legislators gathered in Montpelier for the first day of the 2020 legislative session. GET THE LATEST: Download the MyNBC5 appThe bill, introduced to the judiciary committee by Sen. John Rodgers (Essex-Orleans), would make the possession of a cellphone punishable by up to one year in prison, a $1,000 fine, or both. Rodgers writes within the proposal that cellphones are a large factor in teenage driving deaths and can lead to bullying and radicalization. "In light of the dangerous and life-threatening consequences of cellphone use by young people, it is clear that persons under 21 years of age are not developmentally mature enough to safely possess them," the bill reads. "just as the General Assembly has concluded that persons under 21 years of age are not mature enough to possess firearms, smoke cigarettes or consume alcohol." In an interview with the Times Argus Wednesday, Rodgers said the bill was introduced to raise conversation, and he does not expect it to pass. "I have no delusions that it's going to pass," he told reporter Eric Blaisdell. "I wouldn't probably vote for it myself."The senator's comparison to other age-increasing legislation comes after two consecutive sessions that saw similar bills introduced — In 2018 the state decided to raise the purchasing age for firearms to 21, and in 2019 it raised the purchasing age to 21 for tobacco products. While several states have placed a ban on people under 21 years old using their cellphone while driving, none have introduced an all-encompassing age limit. Tune in to NBC5 News for additional coverage.

A bill seeking to ban the use of cellphones for anyone under the age of 21 was introduced by a Democratic state senator this week as legislators gathered in Montpelier for the first day of the 2020 legislative session.

GET THE LATEST: Download the MyNBC5 app


The bill, introduced to the judiciary committee by Sen. John Rodgers (Essex-Orleans), would make the possession of a cellphone punishable by up to one year in prison, a $1,000 fine, or both.

Rodgers writes within the proposal that cellphones are a large factor in teenage driving deaths and can lead to bullying and radicalization.

"In light of the dangerous and life-threatening consequences of cellphone use by young people, it is clear that persons under 21 years of age are not developmentally mature enough to safely possess them," the bill reads. "just as the General Assembly has concluded that persons under 21 years of age are not mature enough to possess firearms, smoke cigarettes or consume alcohol."

In an interview with the Times Argus Wednesday, Rodgers said the bill was introduced to raise conversation, and he does not expect it to pass.

"I have no delusions that it's going to pass," he told reporter Eric Blaisdell. "I wouldn't probably vote for it myself."

The senator's comparison to other age-increasing legislation comes after two consecutive sessions that saw similar bills introduced — In 2018 the state decided to raise the purchasing age for firearms to 21, and in 2019 it raised the purchasing age to 21 for tobacco products.

While several states have placed a ban on people under 21 years old using their cellphone while driving, none have introduced an all-encompassing age limit.

Tune in to NBC5 News for additional coverage.