By Delisi H.B. No. 338
76R398 DWS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the use of safety belts by children riding in vehicles.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 545.413(b), Transportation Code, is
1-5 amended to read as follows:
1-6 (b) A person commits an offense if the person:
1-7 (1) operates a passenger car that is equipped with
1-8 safety belts; and
1-9 (2) allows a child who is at least four years of age
1-10 but younger than 15 years of age to ride in [the front seat of] the
1-11 vehicle without requiring the child to be secured by a safety belt.
1-12 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
1-13 only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
1-14 Act. For the purposes of this section, an offense is committed
1-15 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
1-16 occurs before that date.
1-17 (b) An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-18 Act is governed by the law in effect when the offense was
1-19 committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
1-20 purpose.
1-21 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-22 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.