Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 62 into law.  Under the new law, texting while driving within the state of Texas will be punishable by a fine up to $99 for first-time offenders and $200 for repeat offenders.

The state law covers texting only and prohibits the use of hand-held phones to “read, write or send an electronic message” while driving.

The new law also states that if an accident caused by texting and driving results in the death or serious bodily injury of another person, they can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $4,000 and confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year.