(AP) Pull over and put down the dog. A California lawmaker wants to ban motorists from holding pets on their laps while driving.

Assemblyman Bill Maze, a Republican from Visalia, says his legislation has nothing to do with pet-loving celebrities who are photographed driving around Los Angeles with their small dogs.

Maze says he introduced the bill after seeing a woman driving with three dogs on her lap. He says pets are a distraction that put motorists and their passengers at risk.

No lawmaker spoke in opposition to the bill, which passed the Assembly on a 44-11 vote on Monday and now goes to the state Senate.

If Maze's bill is signed into law, motorists would pay a fine of $35 if caught driving with a live animal on their lap.

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On the Net:

Read the bill, AB2233, at http://www.assembly.ca.gov

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