LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 79TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

February 14, 2005

TO:	Honorable Todd Staples, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB153 by Zaffirini (Relating to use of safety belts and child passenger safety seat systems.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Transportation Code to make it an offense for a person to operate a passenger vehicle without securing children younger than eight years of age and less than 57 inches in height in a child passenger safety seat system.  The bill would also make it an offense for a child who is younger than 17 years of age to ride in a vehicle without being secured by a safety belt.  The Department of Public Safety indicates that officers will need to be trained concerning the new law; however, training can be done within existing resources.

This bill would take effect September 1, 2005.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

405 Department of Public Safety, 601 Department of Transportation

LBB Staff:

JOB, SR, VDS, SJ