BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 153
Transportation and Homeland Security
2/23/05
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, only children younger than four years of age or less than 36 inches in height are required to be properly secured in a child passenger safety seat system during the operation of a vehicle. Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under. Each year, nearly 1,600 child occupants ages 14 and under die in motor vehicles. Unrestrained children are more likely to be injured, to suffer more severe injuries and to die in motor vehicle crashes than children who are restrained.
As proposed, S.B. 153 requires children eight years of age or less or 57 inches or less in height to be properly secured while riding in an operating vehicle.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Reenacts and amends Section 545.412(a), Transportation Code, as amended by Chapters 618 and 910, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, as follows:
(a) Provides that a person commits an offense if the person operates a passenger vehicle, transports a child who is younger than eight, rather than four, years of age and, rather than or, less than 57, rather than 36, inches in height and does not keep the child secured during the operation of the vehicle in a child passenger safety seat system.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 545.413(b), Transportation Code, as follows:
(b) Provides that a person commits an offense if the person operates a passenger vehicle that is equipped with safety belts and allows a child who is younger than 17 years of age and who is not required to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system to ride in the vehicle without requiring the child to be secured by a safety belt, provided the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt. Deletes some existing text.
SECTION 3. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2005.