BILL ANALYSIS Ó
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 929|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 929
Author: Evans (D)
Amended: 4/25/11
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMM : 6-3, 05/03/11
AYES: DeSaulnier, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Pavley, Rubio,
Simitian
NOES: Gaines, Harman, Huff
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Vehicles: child passenger restraints
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill provides that a child who is six years
of age or younger or who weighs less than 60 pounds may be
seated in the front seat of a vehicle when all of the back
seats are already occupied by children under age eight.
ANALYSIS : Existing law prohibits a parent or guardian
from transporting a child who is six years of age or
younger or who weighs less than 60 pounds in a motor
vehicle unless that child is in a federally-approved child
safety seat in the rear seat of the vehicle. When a parent
or guardian is not present, then this responsibility falls
to the driver of the vehicle.
A child under six or 60 pounds may be transported in the
CONTINUED
SB 929
Page
2
front seat of a vehicle if:
There is no rear seat;
The rear seats are side-facing jump seats;
The rear seats are rear-facing seats;
The child seat cannot be installed properly in the
rear seat;
Medical reasons necessitate that the child cannot
ride in the rear seat; or
All the rear seats are occupied by other children
under age 12.
In no case may a child who is under one year of age, 20
pounds, or riding in a rear-facing child seat be seated in
a front seat with an active passenger air bag.
This bill:
1.Allows a child who is six years of age or younger or who
weighs less than 60 pounds to be seated in the front seat
when all of the back seats are already occupied by
children under age eight, rather than age 12.
2.Deletes obsolete provisions of law related to child
safety seats and seatbelts.
Comments
Existing law permits a young child (ages one to six) to be
seated in the front seat when all the rear seats are
occupied by children who are as old as age 11. The
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia reports that children
who are in the front seat are 40 percent more likely to be
injured than children in the rear seat of a motor vehicle.
Having a two-year old or a five-year old in the front seat,
in lieu of an eleven year old, therefore, makes little
sense from a safety perspective, given that younger
children are more vulnerable in the event of a collision.
This bill corrects the error in existing law that allows
this seating arrangement to occur legally.
Prior Legislation
Last session, SB 177 (Lowenthal) passed this committee by a
CONTINUED
SB 929
Page
3
7 to 4 vote on March 31, 2009 and was nearly identical to
this bill. That bill passed the Senate, but it was never
heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee.
In two previous sessions, AB 2108 (Evans) of 2006 and AB
881 (Mullin) of 2007 each included a provision allowing
children under age six to be seated in the front seat only
if all the rear seats are occupied by children under age
six. Those bills' primary change to existing law, however,
was to increase to eight the age at which children are
required to ride in a child safety seat. Because of that
provision, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 2108 in 2006
and then AB 881 the next year.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
JJA:nl 5/17/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
**** END ****
CONTINUED