(Des Moines) Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law Wednesday a measure banning drivers from using cellphones behind the wheel outside of hands-free or voice-activated modes.
Reynolds was joined by more than 50 people in her office Wednesday, many of whom were related to people who had died because of distracted driving. The governor recognized the names of many of the people who lost their lives due to distracted driving incidents before signing the measure into law.
“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to their families for being here today and for their tireless advocacy,” Reynolds said. “I can’t imagine how hard it’s been to tell and to retell your stories, but your courage will save lives. So, on behalf of all the families across our great state, thank you.”
With the bill’s signing, the measure, which is an expansion from Iowa’s current law banning texting while driving, will go into effect July 1. Law enforcement officers will give warnings for violations from July through the rest of 2025. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, using handheld personal electronic devices while driving will result in a fine of $100. If the incident results in an injury, the fine is raised to $500, and incidents that cause death will raise the fine to $1,000.
The governor said that Iowa has become the 31st state in the country to have a “hands free” law on the books, and that neighboring states like Minnesota and Illinois have seen major decreases in car crashes since enacting similar laws.
“I’m grateful, because this legislation will save lives,” Reynolds said. “According to a recent study, a 10% reduction in distracted driving in Iowa will prevent over 1,200 crashes, 700 injuries and six deaths, as well as over $50 million in economic damages.”
The measure had received support from Reynolds at the beginning of the session, when she mentioned the proposal in her January Condition of the State address. Part of the governor’s push came in part after meeting the family of Roland Taylor of Terril — a victim of a distracted driving crash in 2023. The governor said she signed the measure into law, nearly two years to the day of the crash “in his memory, and we’d do the same for every Iowan killed due to distracted driving.”
Angie Smith, the daughter of Taylor, said she and her family met Reynolds at the Clay County Fair in 2024 and talked to her about her father’s death.
“My mom stated to the governor, ‘We need to do something about a handsfree bill,’ and it caught her attention, and it was very emotional for the governor also,” Smith said. “So (she) reached out to us and has been pushing and supporting ever since.”
Smith said “there’s not a better way that we could have honored dad today,” saying Taylor would have been proud to see the law being signed and save lives.
“When the governor called me personally last week and said … that it was passed, I just broke down in tears,” Smith said. “And I called mom immediately, so happy to just know that this is going to save someone else’s life, hopefully that these families will not have to go through this.”
Senate File 22 was an effort that advocates have pushed lawmakers to pass for almost seven years. While in previous sessions the measure failed in the Iowa House, the chamber passed the 2025 bill in a 84-11 vote in late March.
Peter Bengtson, the father of Ellen Bengtson, who was killed by a distracted driver while biking in 2020, said that the years of the bill failing to advance felt like a “kick to the gut,” but that the law being signed Wednesday was a “good first step” toward preventing distracted driving deaths. He said the law will allow law enforcement officers to start educating and informing people about the dangers of using phones while driving, and is an important start in stopping preventable deaths on Iowa roads.
“This is an experience you don’t want to have,” Bengtson said. “You don’t want to be on the side of the situation where you lose a loved one, and I can’t imagine you want to be the person behind the wheel who knew that you made a bad choice and you killed other people or maimed them. …This is an epidemic beyond compare for public safety. We need to do something about it, and this legislation gets us closer.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds, joined by Iowa families who had lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes, law enforcement officers and others, celebrated after the governor signed a ban on handheld cellphone use while driving into law April 1, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
