By Hardcastle H.B. No. 971
77R1257 JAT-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to safety belt requirements in passenger vehicles.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Sections 545.413(a), (b), (c), and (h),
1-5 Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-6 (a) A person commits an offense if the person:
1-7 (1) is at least 15 years of age;
1-8 (2) is riding in the front seat of a passenger car or
1-9 light truck while the vehicle is being operated;
1-10 (3) is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety
1-11 belt; and
1-12 (4) is not secured by a properly fastened and adjusted
1-13 safety belt.
1-14 (b) A person commits an offense if the person:
1-15 (1) operates a passenger car or light truck that is
1-16 equipped with safety belts; and
1-17 (2) allows a child who is at least four years of age
1-18 but younger than 15 years of age to ride in the vehicle without
1-19 requiring the child to be secured by a properly fastened and
1-20 adjusted safety belt, provided the child is occupying a seat that
1-21 is equipped with a safety belt.
1-22 (c) A [passenger car or a] seat in a passenger car or light
1-23 truck is considered to be equipped with a safety belt if the
1-24 vehicle is required under Section 547.601 to be equipped with
2-1 safety belts.
2-2 (h) In this section, "safety[:]
2-3 [(1) "Passenger car" includes a truck with a
2-4 manufacturer's rated carrying capacity of not more than 1,500
2-5 pounds.]
2-6 [(2) "Safety] belt" means a lap belt and any shoulder
2-7 straps included as original equipment on or added to a vehicle.
2-8 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
2-9 (b) The change in law made by this Act applies only to an
2-10 offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. For
2-11 purposes of this section, an offense is committed before the
2-12 effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
2-13 before that date.
2-14 (c) An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-15 Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
2-16 and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.