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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Komadina

DATE TYPED 02/21/05 HB

SHORT TITLE Require Car Booster Seats for Some Children

SB 522/aSPAC

ANALYST Ford

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates

SB 586

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Department of Health (DOH)

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Department of Transportation (DOT)

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SPAC Amendment

The Senate Public Affairs Committee amendment deletes the provision that exempts passenger

vans operated by CYFD-licensed child-care operators from child-restraint requirements.

Synopsis of Original Bill

Senate Bill 522 requires children ages 5 through 6 or weighing less than 60 pounds to be secured

in either a child booster seat or an appropriate child passenger restraint device that meets federal

standards. The bill provides that a child is properly secured in an adult seat belt when the lap

Senate Bill 522/aSPAC -- Page 2

belt properly fits across the child’s thighs and hips, not the abdomen, and the shoulder strap

crosses the center of the chest, not the neck, allowing the child to sit all the way back against the

vehicle seat with knees bent over the seat edge.

The bill excludes passenger vans operated by licensed child daycare centers from the new re-

quirement for booster seats and the existing requirement that children ages 7 through 12 be prop-

erly secured in a child passenger restraint device or by a seat belt.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

DOT has performance measures related to reducing injuries and fatalities related to crashes.

Since child booster seats provide increased protection during crashes, this bill will likely help

DOT improve on its performance measures.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

This bill duplicates Senate Bill 586

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

According to CYFD, the leading cause of injury and fatality to children up to 12 years of age is

motor vehicle accidents. Proper use of child passenger restraints reduces injury and death by as

much as 70 percent.

DOH notes that many children are riding incorrectly, secured only by an adult seat belt. The tar-

get population for this bill is children who are too large for child car seats yet too small for adult

seat belts, which includes 95% of children between the ages of 5 and 9 and 5% of children ages

10 through 12.

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