Anti-Panhandling (H 5042)

Rather than confronting the issues that cause individuals to engage in panhandling, this bill sought to ban the practice instead and would have fined a motorist for passing anything out of their window to another individual while in an “active lane of travel.”

Rather than confronting the issues that cause individuals to engage in panhandling, this bill sought to ban the practice instead. The bill would have fined a motorist for passing anything out of their window to another individual while in an “active lane of travel.” While H 5330 would have penalized the motorist rather than the panhandler, the right for individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment right to solicit donations would have been violated regardless of which side is punished. The ACLU testified n opposition to this bill, which ultimately died in committee.