By Martinez Fischer                                   H.B. No. 1739
         77R6664 JD-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to increasing the penalty for a violation of certain laws
 1-3     involving the restraint of a child in a motor vehicle.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 545.412(b), Transportation Code, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  An offense under this section is a misdemeanor
 1-8     punishable by a fine of not less than $100 [$25] or more than $200
 1-9     [$50].
1-10           SECTION 2. Section 545.413(d), Transportation Code, is
1-11     amended to read as follows:
1-12           (d)  An offense under Subsection (a) [this section] is a
1-13     misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 or more than
1-14     $50.  An offense under Subsection (b) is a misdemeanor punishable
1-15     by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $200.
1-16           SECTION 3. (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-17           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to an
1-18     offense committed on or after September 1, 2001.
1-19           (c)  An offense committed before September 1, 2001, is
1-20     covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
1-21     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For
1-22     purposes of this section, an offense was committed before September
1-23     1, 2001, if any element of the offense was committed before that
1-24     date.