| TO: | Honorable John Carona, Chair, Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB537 by Berman (Relating to the transportation of children in motor vehicles; creating an offense.), As Engrossed |
The bill would create as an offense allowing a child younger than 17 years of age 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 if the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt. The provisions of the bill would apply to a third-party transport service providers when transporting clients pursuant to a contract to provide nonemergency Medicaid transportation; previously, these providers were exempt from the specific safety belt requirements.
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to prohibit a person from carrying another person on a motorcycle unless the passenger is at least five years of age. An exception would be made for passengers younger than five years of age riding in a sidecar attached to the motorcycle. A violation would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $200.
Enforcement and fines collected from enforcement are not anticipated to have a significant fiscal impact to the state or units of local government.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KJG, DB
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