BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2667
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Date of Hearing: May 12, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2667 (Hill) - As Amended: May 6, 2010
Policy Committee:
TransportationVote:10-2
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires medical facilities to provide additional
information to parents relating to child-safety seats, and
specifies that child-safety seat information only need to be
provided once per child. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires that, in addition to the current-law requirement that
the medical facility provide information to parents or
guardians concerning child restraint laws at time of
discharge, they also provide contact information regarding
where child passenger restraint systems can be inspected and
proper installation instruction can be given.
2)Specifies that such contact information may include references
to 1-866-SEAT-CHECK, www.seatcheck.org, the telephone number
of the local office of the Highway Patrol, and the Web site
for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Child
Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator.
3)Applies to public and private hospitals, clinics, and birthing
centers, at the time of the discharge of a child under six
years of age or under 60 pounds. Specifies that safety seat
information need only be provided once per child (presumably
at the time of birth.)
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Minor costs to hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities
(including U.C. and other public facilities) to provide
additional information.
AB 2667
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2)Local mandated costs for enforcement are not reimbursable.
COMMENTS
1)Background . Existing law prohibits a parent or legal guardian,
while present in a motor vehicle, from permitting his/her
child less than six years of age or under 60 pounds to ride in
the car without being secured in a child passenger car seat in
the rear vehicle's rear seat. It also requires every public or
private hospital, clinic, or birthing center, at the time of
the discharge of a child less than six years of age or less
than 60 pounds, to provide information on current law
requirements relating to child passenger restraint systems.
However, existing law does not prescribe specific types of
information that must be supplied.
2)Rationale . The bill is intended to increase the proportion of
child car seats that are installed correctly. The author
reports that he has hosted two child seat safety check events
in his district over the last six months and saw first-hand
the alarming number of child safety seats that are not
installed properly. The bill's findings and declarations also
cite National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research
showing that seven out of 10 children are not properly
restrained in cars. The author is seeking to ensure that
parents know that existing resources are available to obtain
free safety seat inspections.
Analysis Prepared by : Brad Williams / APPR. / (916) 319-2081