H.B. 418 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 418 By: Martinez Fischer Ways & Means Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 77th Legislature increased the penalty for offenses relating to the improper use of child safety belts. It also intended to require a city or county to send to the state comptroller half of the fines collected for these violations, for deposit into the state's tertiary care fund for trauma centers. However, a technical error in the statute resulted in the requirement that a city or county submit half of the fines collected for all safety belt violations. House Bill 418 requires that a city or county send to the state comptroller half of the fines collected for child safety belt violations. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 418 requires a municipality or county, at the end of the municipality's or county's fiscal year, to send to the comptroller of public accounts an amount equal to 50 percent of the fines collected by the municipality or the county for violations of specified child safety belt provisions. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003.