By Oakley H.B. No. 2406
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the use of a safety belt.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subsections (a), (b), and (c), Section 107C,
1-5 Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways (Article 6701d, Vernon's
1-6 Texas Civil Statutes) are amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) In this section, "passenger car" includes a truck with a
1-8 manufacturer's rated carrying capacity of not more than 1,500
1-9 pounds and includes those cars that were originally equipped by the
1-10 manufacturer with safety belts. Safety belt includes the lap belts
1-11 and shoulder straps that were original equipment in the passenger
1-12 car. A safety belt does not include a shoulder strap if the
1-13 shoulder strap was not part of the original equipment in the
1-14 passenger car.
1-15 (b) A person commits an offense if the person:
1-16 (1) is at least 15 years old;
1-17 (2) is riding in the front seat of a passenger car
1-18 while the car is being operated on a road, street, or highway of
1-19 this state;
1-20 (3) is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety
1-21 belt; and
1-22 (4) is not secured by a safety belt.
1-23 (c) A person commits an offense if the person:
2-1 (1) operates on a road, street, or highway of this
2-2 state a passenger car that is equipped with safety belts; and
2-3 (2) another person <allows a child> who is at least
2-4 four years old <but less than 15 years old to ride> is riding in
2-5 the front seat of the car and is not <without requiring the child
2-6 to be> secured by a safety belt.
2-7 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
2-8 applies only to a person convicted of an offense committed on or
2-9 after the effective date of this Act. For purposes of this
2-10 section, an offense was committed or conduct was engaged in before
2-11 the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense or
2-12 conduct occurred before the effective date. An offense committed
2-13 or conduct engaged in before the effective date of this Act is
2-14 covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed or the
2-15 conduct was engaged in, and the former law is continued in effect
2-16 for this purpose.
2-17 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.