A push to combat distracted driving through a ban on the use of handheld cellphones cleared its first hurdle Wednesday toward becoming the law in Indiana.

Indiana House committee members voted unanimously in favor of the bill making cellphone use by all motorists illegal unless they are using hands-free or voice-operated technology, except in emergencies. The new proposal would toughen the state’s current ban on texting while driving that officials have said has proven to be unenforceable and doesn’t include actions such as emailing, and other third party apps.

Indiana Governor, Eric Holcomb supports Indiana's efforts in joining at least 20 other states with similar bans, but some GOP legislators have questioned whether such regulation is proper for government and how police officers could determine how a cellphone was being used.

The bill would make violations a ticketed infraction with a maximum $500 fine. The full House could vote in the coming week on whether to endorse the bill and send it to the Senate for consideration.