&nbsp; <font style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><strong>Legislative Session</strong>: 86(R)</font><br/><br/>

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  <p class=MsoNormal><b>House Bill 448</b></p>
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  <p class=MsoNormal><b>House Author:</b>  Turner, Chris et al.</p>
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  <p class=MsoNormal><b>Effective:</b>  Vetoed</p>
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  <p class=MsoNormal><b>Senate Sponsor:</b>  Zaffirini et al.</p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:normal;font-family:
"Arial",sans-serif'>            <a name=start></a>House Bill 448 amends the
Transportation Code to create an offense for a person who operates a vehicle
while transporting a child younger than two years of age and fails to secure
the child in a rear&#8209;facing child passenger safety seat system. The bill
prohibits a peace officer from stopping a motor vehicle or detaining the
operator of the vehicle solely to enforce the offense and from issuing a
citation for such an offense without determining that the person has previously
been issued a warning or citation for or convicted of that offense. The bill
establishes as an affirmative defense to prosecution that the child has a
medical condition that prevents the child from being secured in a rear&#8209;facing
child passenger safety seat system. </span></p>

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style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Governor's
Reason for Veto: &quot;House Bill 448 is an unnecessary invasion of parental
rights and an unfortunate example of over&#8209;criminalization. Texas already
compels drivers to use a car seat for a child under eight years of age. House
Bill 448 would get even more prescriptive, dictating which way the car seat
must be facing for a child under two years of age. It is not necessary to
micromanage the parenting process to such a great extent, much less to
criminalize different parenting decisions by Texans.&quot;</span></p>

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