Proposed bill would ban cell phone use for anyone under 21

A Vermont lawmaker is proposing a ban on cellphones for people under 21 - but it's not what you think.

While Senator John Rodgers is putting forward a bill that would fine violators $1,000 or even put them in prison, he says he wouldn't vote for his own bill.

Rodgers says he's really trying to start a conversation about cell phone safety and overall rights for young adults.

"It's really to prove a point,” says Rodgers. “If we're going to allow 18-year-olds to vote and join the military and such, they should have all the rest of the rights."

Language in the bill says people under 21 are not developmentally mature enough to have cellphones, much like firearms, cigarettes and alcohol.

But Rodgers says cell phone safety is just as important as education about guns.