By Van de Putte                                       S.B. No. 1367
         77R9127 JAT-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the transportation of an unsecured child in a motor
 1-3     vehicle.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 545.412(a), Transportation Code, is
 1-6     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 weighs 60 pounds or less
1-10     [younger than two years of age] and does not keep the child secured
1-11     during the operation of the vehicle in a child passenger safety
1-12     seat system according to the instructions of the manufacturer of
1-13     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. Section 545.413(b), Transportation Code, is
1-22     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
 2-1     equipped with safety belts; and
 2-2                 (2)  allows a child who is [at least four years of age
 2-3     but] younger than 15 years of age and who weighs more than 60
 2-4     pounds to ride in the vehicle without requiring the child to be
 2-5     secured by a safety belt, provided the child is occupying a seat
 2-6     that is equipped with a 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.