BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 448

By: Turner, Chris

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that rear-facing child car seats provide better support in a motor vehicle accident than forward-facing car seats and should therefore be required for children younger than two years of age riding in passenger vehicles in Texas. H.B. 448 seeks to improve child safety in vehicles by creating an offense for the failure to secure certain children in a rear-facing child passenger safety seat system.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly does one or more of the following: creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 448 amends the Transportation Code to create a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of not less than $25 and not more than $250 for a person who operates a passenger vehicle while transporting a child who is younger than two years of age without the child secured during the operation of the vehicle in a rear-facing child passenger safety seat system. The bill creates an exception to the application of the offense for a person transporting a child younger than two years of age who is taller than three feet, four inches or weighs more than 40 pounds.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.