Proposed MA Legislation Seeks to Require “Hands-free” Cell Phone Use While Driving

This news was originally written and posted on the Eastern MA ARRL website.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday “proposed his most sweeping set of road safety rules yet, calling for Massachusetts to join 16 other states in requiring hands-free cell phone use while driving and proposing to allow police to stop motorists for not wearing a seat belt,” according to Boston’s PBS station, WGBH.

Various pieces of “hands-free” cell phone legislation have been introduced in recent years by members of the State House and Senate and while some have included clear exemptions for Amateur Radio operators, others have been vague or non-existent on the matter.

Eastern MA State Government Liaison Hank McCarl, W4RIG, quickly alerted ARRL section and division leadership about the proposed legislation. 

McCarl reports he has already spoken with his State Senator’s office legislative assistant about the ARRL’s concerns regarding the wording of proposed legislation on hand held cell phones while driving. They “will keep a close eye on the wording of that legislation and let us know if there seems to be any problems for our mobile operations as licensed amateurs in community service or training,” McCarl said.

ARRL Headquarters Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1NC was also notified of the proposed legislation by Eastern MA Section Manager Tom Walsh, K1TW.

Details about Baker’s proposed hands-free cell phone and other road safety rules can be found at <https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2019/01/22/baker-proposes-hand-free-cell-phone-driving-bill>.

Boston Marathon Volunteer Registration Now Open

On behalf of the BAA Amateur Radio Communications Committee, we want to wish you a Happy New Year. It’s hard to believe that 2018 has come to a close and we are heading into 2019, and with the new year also comes the 123rd running of the Boston Marathon. 

Today, January 3rd, 2019, volunteer registration will open for the marathon which is taking place this year on Monday, April 15, 2019. The sign-up process will be the same as last year and will provide you with a direct link once registration is open. Please be on the lookout for an email from the BAA, and we will also be asking for everybody’s assistance in getting the word out about volunteering to help with recruitment.

Click here to register as a volunteer for the 2019 Boston Marathon. The registration deadline is Wednesday, February 6, 2019.

If you have any questions about the upcoming volunteer registration period, or the 2019 Marathon generally, please get in touch anytime. Volunteering at the Marathon is a big job, and we appreciate the time and effort everyone puts into it. We’re happy to do what we can to make your work more comfortable or effective.

We look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Thank you, and 73,
Matthew Forman, K6MCF
for the Boston Marathon Communications Committee
contact@hamradioboston.org