TALLAHASSEE – Florida lawmakers are once again trying to crack down on distracted driving, this time with a proposal that goes further than the state’s current law.

Senate Bill 1152, filed ahead of the upcoming legislative session, would make it illegal for drivers to hold a phone while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers could still use GPS, make phone calls, or use navigation apps, but only through hands-free technology such as Bluetooth or built-in vehicle systems.

That restriction would apply even when a vehicle is stopped at a red light or in traffic. The bill defines “handheld” use broadly, including holding a phone in one or both hands or bracing it against the body.

Supporters say Florida’s existing law, which primarily targets texting while driving, doesn’t fully address the many ways drivers use their phones behind the wheel and can be difficult for law enforcement to enforce consistently.

The bill also includes privacy protections. Law enforcement officers would not be allowed to search or confiscate a driver’s phone without a warrant.

State officials say distracted driving remains a serious and persistent problem across Florida.

By the numbers:

The most recent available data for a single year shows nearly 300 people were killed and more than 2,200 others suffered serious injuries in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2024. A crash happens in Florida about every 44 seconds, and roughly one in seven crashes involves a distracted driver, according to state data.

Advocates point to other states with hands-free laws, saying those states have seen declines in deadly crashes after similar measures were adopted.

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What’s next:

The bill will be taken up during the 2026 legislative session, which begins Tuesday, Jan. 13. It must pass committee hearings and full votes in both chambers before going to the governor.

If approved, the law would take effect Oct. 1, 2026.

Former Penn State interior offensive lineman TJ Shanahan committed to the Florida Gators on Tuesday, Jan. 6, reuniting him with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein in Gainesville.

Trautwein’s connection with Shanahan loomed large in his recruitment. The only visit Shanahan took was to Gainesville on Saturday, and Trautwein recruited him out of high school before he moved from Florida to Texas. The hometown angle also plays a factor here. His family lives outside of Tampa, and his cousin, Jon Halapio, played at Florida from 2009 to 2013 before being drafted in the sixth round.

247Sports does not have a transfer portal grade for Shanahan, but On3 ranks him at No. 341 overall and No. 25 among interior offensive linemen in the portal. He has two years of eligibility remaining with hopes of becoming a full-time starter at Florida.

TJ Shanahan’s college career

A consensus four-star recruit and the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2023 recruiting class, Shanahan chose Texas A&M after visiting several SEC programs. He appeared in three games as a true freshman before redshirting. He became a regular in the Aggies’ offensive line rotation in 2024, playing in 10 total games. He spent time at center and left guard, starting four of five games at the latter position.

Heartbreaking new details have emerged in the case of the missing Florida boy who was found dead next to his dog as his father faces charges for allegedly making explosives.

Johnathan Boley, 4, did not show any signs of “trauma or assault type injuries” after officials performed an autopsy on Monday morning — three days after the heartbreaking discovery, according to Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith.

A cause of death has not been released as officials await the results of further tests, WBRC reported.

Boley, known by his family as “John John,” was discovered partly in a body of water by a group of volunteers who were searching the wooded area in Jasper, Ala. — two miles from where the boy vanished.

The child, who was visiting his father for the holidays, was last seen playing in the yard with his older brother and their mixed lab pup Buck just before noon on New Year’s Eve.

Boley’s elder sibling said his brother and the Buck had walked across the property line. Jameson Kyle Boley reported his son missing an hour later.

The little tyke, who lived with his mother in Florida after his parents separated, was discovered just before 1 p.m. Friday.

Buck, the loyal pooch, was found alive and next to Boley’s body.

Volunteers were “shook up” when they found Boley after the days-long search.

“You know, obviously you come out to do a good deed and when you get our there, you may have thought that you have fully prepared yourself for what you might come across,” Smith said. “Obviously, they were shaken up.”

Officials also discovered explosive materials inside and around the elder Boley’s home. The discovery of the potentially dangerous materials forced officials to cancel a ground search in the area.

Methamphetamines were also discovered inside the home.

Officials found “evidence that they have had some type of bomb type materials and that have exploded on the property.”

Boley, 40, was arrested and charged with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child.

He was transported to Blount County jail to “keep him separated from the county and people he may know in the jail,” Smith said.

After “John John’s” body was recovered, family members were permitted to go to Blount County and share the devastating news with the jailed father.

“I arranged with the sheriff of Blount County to let the family go make that notification in person,” Smith said.