HB 1202 -- Child Safety Restraints

Sponsor:  Dusenberg

This bill revises the law regarding child passenger restraints
and seat belts.  The bill:

(1)  Requires children less than four years of age, regardless of
weight, or who weigh less than 40 pounds, regardless of age, to
be secured in a child passenger restraint system;

(2)  Requires children four through five years of age or weighing
40 to 60 pounds to be secured in a child passenger restraint
system or booster seat;

(3)  Requires children at six years of age or at least 60 pounds
to be secured by a vehicle safety belt, child passenger restraint
system, or booster seat;

(4)  Allows children weighing more than 40 pounds, who would
otherwise be required to be secured in a booster seat, to be
transported in the back seat of a vehicle while wearing only a
lap belt if the back seat of the motor vehicle is not equipped
with a combination lap and shoulder belt for booster seat
installation;

(5)  Requires car rental agencies doing business in Missouri to
inform customers of the requirements of the bill and to provide
an appropriate child passenger safety restraint system;

(6)  Exempts public carriers for hire or school buses unless the
school buses have been equipped with safety belts; and

(7)  Requires the Department of Public Safety to develop a public
information program to ensure compliance with child passenger
safety restrain laws.

The bill provides that if there are more people in a vehicle than
are seat belts, the passengers who are unable to wear seat belts
must sit in the rear-seat area of the vehicle unless the vehicle
is designed only for a front-seat area.

A violation of this child restraint provision is an infraction
and punishable by a fine of not more than $25 plus court costs
with no points assessed against any person.  The charges against
any person receiving a citation for a child restraint
violation will be dismissed or withdrawn if the person provides
prior to or at a hearing evidence of acquisition of a child
passenger restrain system or child booster seat which is
satisfactory to the court or prosecutor.

The bill has an effective date of January 1, 2005.

Missouri House of Representatives
92nd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 23, 2004 at 11:14 am