Key Votes
HB 279 - Increased Age Requirement for Child Restraints - Key Vote
Georgia Key Votes
Stages
Family
Issues
Stage Details
Legislation - Bill Passed (House) (129-43) - March 1, 2011 (Key vote)
Title: Increased Age Requirement for Child Restraints
Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to pass a bill that increases the age requirement for the use of child restraints in motor vehicles, effective July 1, 2011.
Highlights:
-Requires every driver of a motor vehicle other than a taxi cab or public transit vehicle who transports a child under 8 years of age to restrain the child in a child passenger restraint system, whereas existing law only required drivers to restrain children under 6 years of age (Sec. 1).
-Requires buses operated by a licensed child care facility, but that are not school buses or multifunction school activities buses, to properly restrain each child over 4 years of age and under 8 years of age by a child passenger restraining system, whereas existing law only required children over 4 years of age and under 6 years of age to be restrained by a safety belt (Sec. 1).
-Authorizes courts to waive the $50 fine for a conviction under this act for children who are 6 or 7 years old, whereas existing law authorized courts to waive the fine for children who were 5 years old (Sec. 1).
-Requires each minor 8 years of age or older to be restrained by a seat safety belt, whereas existing law required each minor 6 years of age or older to be restrained by a seat safety belt (Sec. 2).
-This act is effective July 1, 2011, however it will not apply to buses used to transport children over 4 years of age until July 1, 2012 (Secs. 1 and 3).
Legislation - Introduced (House) - Feb. 17, 2011
Title: Increased Age Requirement for Child Restraints
Committee Sponsors
- Motor Vehicles (Sponsor)
- Transportation (Sponsor)
Sponsors
- Stacey Yvonne Abrams (GA - D)
- Sharon Cooper (GA - R)
- Judy H. Manning (GA - R) (Out Of Office)
- John Meadows III (GA - R)
- Jay Powell (GA - R)
- Thomas R. 'Tom' Rice (GA - R)
