BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 537

By: Berman

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, if a law enforcement officer stops a 15-passenger van containing child passengers younger than 17 years of age who are not secured by a seatbelt, the person allowing the children to be unsecured is not, by law, committing an offense. 

H.B. 537 creates an offense if a person 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 a 15-passenger van without being secured by a seatbelt.

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

H.B. 537 amends the Transportation Code to expand the definition of "passenger vehicle" for purposes of the law requiring child passenger safety seat systems to include a passenger van designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers, including the driver. The bill makes it an offense to allow 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 under that law to ride in a passenger van designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers, including the driver, without securing the child individually by a safety belt.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.