1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the transportation of an unsecured child in a motor
 1-3     vehicle; providing penalties.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 545.412, Transportation
 1-6     Code, is amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  A person commits an offense if the person operates a
 1-8     passenger car or light truck and[:]
 1-9                 [(1)]  transports a child who is younger than five
1-10     [two] years of age and less than 36 inches in height and does not
1-11     keep the child secured during the operation of the vehicle in a
1-12     child passenger safety seat system according to the instructions of
1-13     the manufacturer of the safety seat system[; or]
1-14                 [(2)  transports a child who is at least two years of
1-15     age but younger than four years of age and does not keep the child
1-16     secured during the operation of the vehicle:]
1-17                       [(A)  in a child passenger safety seat system
1-18     according to the instructions of the manufacturer of the safety
1-19     seat system; or]
1-20                       [(B)  by a safety belt].
1-21           SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 545.413, Transportation
1-22     Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-23           (b)  A person commits an offense if the person:
1-24                 (1)  operates a passenger car or light truck that is
1-25     equipped with safety belts; and
 2-1                 (2)  allows a child who is at least five [four] years
 2-2     of age but younger than 15 years of age or who is younger than five
 2-3     years of age and at least 36 inches in height to ride in the
 2-4     vehicle without requiring the child to be secured by a safety belt,
 2-5     provided the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a
 2-6     safety belt.
 2-7           SECTION 3.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
 2-8     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
 2-9     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
2-10     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
2-11     before that date.
2-12           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-13     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
2-14     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-15           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1367 passed the Senate on
         May 3, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1367 passed the House on
         May 23, 2001, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                      Date
         _______________________________
                    Governor