| TO: | Honorable David Swinford, Chair, House Committee on State Affairs |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1372 by Jones, Jesse (Relating to the operation of lawn mowers; providing a penalty.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Health and Safety Code as it relates to the operation of lawn mowers and provides penalties.
The bill would make it an offense for a person younger than 10 years of age to operate a power lawn mower. The bill would also make it an offense for a person to carry a passenger younger than 14 years of age on a riding lawn mower unless the riding lawn mower is designed by the manufacturer to transport a passenger. The offense would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than
$25 nor more than $200. If a person has been previously convicted of this violation, the offense would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500. On the first conviction of a person for an offense, the court, in addition to assessing a fine, may order the defendant to perform 8 to 12 hours of community service at a hospital trauma center. If the court orders a defendant to perform community service, the court shall require the defendant to present
to the court, not later than the 90th day after the date of final conviction, evidence in the form prescribed by the court that the defendant, as ordered by the court, has satisfactorily performed
the required hours of community service.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2005.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 405 Department of Public Safety
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, SR, VDS, SJ
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