SF0019 • 2023

Highway safety-child restraints.

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; requiring rear-facing child safety restraint systems for children younger than two (2) years old or under the weight or height limits specified for the particular child safety restraint system; clarifying the placement of child safety restraint systems in front of active airbags; and providing for an effective date.

Budget Children

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Transportation
Last action: 2023-02-27
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and was not signed into law, so it does not affect anyone currently.

Highway Safety - Child Restraints

The bill requires children under two years old or within the weight and height limits specified by their car seat to use rear-facing child safety seats while riding in cars, and clarifies that these seats should not be placed in front of active airbags.

What This Bill Does

Requires children younger than two years old or who meet specific weight and height requirements for their car seat to ride in a rear-facing child safety restraint system.
Clarifies that rear-facing child safety restraint systems should not be placed in front of an active airbag.

Who It Names or Affects

Parents and caregivers who transport young children in vehicles.

Terms To Know

Child safety restraint system: A device like a car seat or booster seat that keeps young children safe while riding in vehicles.
Active airbag: An airbag that is ready to deploy if there is an accident.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
It would have taken effect on July 1, 2023, but since it did not pass, this date is no longer relevant.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SF0019HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Smith

Filed

Plain English: The amendment changes the penalty for not following child safety restraint rules, adds a new section about fines for violations, and includes money to help low-income people get car seats.

Adds a new section with penalties for violating child safety restraint requirements: $50 fine for first offense (waived if proof of purchase of a proper car seat is provided), and up to $100 for repeat offenses.
Includes an appropriation of $99,000 from the general fund to help low-income individuals acquire child safety restraint systems.

The exact details on how the funds will be distributed are not provided in the amendment text.

Bill History

2023-02-27 House
H COW:H Did not consider for COW
2023-02-09 House
H Placed on General File
2023-02-09 House
H08 - Transportation:Recommend Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0
2023-02-07 House
H Introduced and Referred to H08 - Transportation
2023-01-17 House
H Received for Introduction
2023-01-16 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-1-0-0-0
2023-01-13 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2023-01-12 Senate
S COW:Passed
2023-01-12 Senate
S Placed on General File
2023-01-12 Senate
S08 - Transportation:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2023-01-10 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S08 - Transportation
2022-12-28 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2022-12-01 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

23LSO-0025
2023
STATE OF WYOMING
23LSO-0025
Numbered
2.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0019

Highway safety-child restraints.

Sponsored by: Joint Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Interim Committee

A BILL

for

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 31
‑
5
‑
1303(a) is amended to read:

31
‑
5
‑
1303.

Child safety restraint system; required use; exception.

(a)

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, no person shall operate a passenger vehicle in this state unless each child who is a passenger in that vehicle and who has not reached
his
that child's
ninth birthday is properly secured in a child safety restraint system in a seat of the vehicle other than the front seat, except if the vehicle is only equipped with one (1) row of seats, or if all safety belts in the rows of seats behind the front seat are in use by other child passengers in the vehicle, the child may be properly secured in a child safety restraint system in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, except that a rear
‑
facing
infant seat
child safety restraint system
shall not be placed in front of an active airbag.
The child safety restraint system required by this subsection shall be rear
‑
facing until the child reaches either the age of two (2) or the weight or height limit specified by the manufacturer of the child safety restraint system.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2023
.

(END)

1
SF0019