Plain English Breakdown
The source text states no reimbursement is required for a 'specified reason' but does not define that reason.
New Rules for How Children Must Wear Safety Belts
Starting January 1, 2027, this law changes the definition of wearing a safety belt correctly to require children under age 16 to pass a five-step test.
What This Bill Does
- Changes the legal meaning of 'properly restrained by a safety belt' for passengers under age 16 starting January 1, 2027.
- Requires that such passengers meet all requirements of the new 5-Step Test to be considered properly restrained.
- Expands existing laws so that failing this test counts as breaking the law.
Who It Names or Affects
- Parents, legal guardians, and drivers who transport children under age 16 in motor vehicles on highways.
- Operators of limousines for hire, authorized emergency vehicles, or taxicabs transporting passengers aged 8 or older in the front seat.
- Children, wards, or passengers under age 16 riding in buses.
Terms To Know
- 5-Step Test
- A checklist to see if a safety belt fits correctly. It requires sitting all the way back against the seat, knees bending over the edge of the seat, shoulder belt crossing the center of the chest and shoulder (not the neck), lap belt touching thighs as low as possible, and staying seated like this for the whole trip.
- Infraction
- A minor violation of the law. The bill states that breaking these rules is an infraction but does not list specific fines or jail time in the provided text.
Limits and Unknowns
- The official source mentions no reimbursement will be required for a 'specified reason' but does not explain what that reason is.
- The bill states it expands existing crimes, implying penalties exist under current law, but the provided text does not list specific fine amounts or penalty details.