SACRAMENTO - Californians who drive with pets on their lap may soon face more than a tail wagged in their face: They'll also see a $35 ticket from a cop.

The Assembly on Monday approved a bill to ban people from driving as they hold dogs or cats, saying pets can be distracting no matter how well-behaved. It covers "live animals," so there's no free ride for birds, hamsters or iguanas either.

Assembly Bill 2233 by Assemblyman Bill Maze, R-Visalia, moved to the Senate on a 44-11 vote.

"You have a potential major risk of an auto accident when you have a live pet that can be around in your face, in the steering wheel, down on the floor under your feet," Maze said.

Maze may face a dogfight as the bill has drawn opposition from fellow Republicans, including Assemblyman Martin Garrick, R-Carlsbad. Spokesman Mike Zimmerman said Garrick "thinks if he wants to have his dogs riding in the front seat with him, then that should be the case."

Zimmerman added that Garrick's "dogs are like his kids. He knows best how to handle them. They're very well-trained and well-behaved."

Despite GOP opposition, majority Democrats, who agree with Maze's concerns, could put the measure on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. The governor routinely takes no position on bills until they reach him.

Schwarzenegger signed a driver-distraction bill that beginning July 1 bans driving while talking on cell phones without a hands-free device.

AB 2233 would leave it to motorists to determine how to secure animals in a car.

Although other states have negligent or distracted driving laws that cover pets, Maze's legislative aides said AB 2233 would be the most specific.

In California, the Department of Motor Vehicles already suggests motorists use pet carriers secured in a vehicle.

DMV statistics indicate 4,300 accidents daily are linked to driver distraction. A national study has ranked pets as among the top distractions.

Maze said he believes there's been an increase in the problem.

"I saw an individual where there were two dogs with their paws up in the open window in the back seat and another dog in their lap," he said. "My goodness, folks."