BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1452
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   March 28, 2012

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                  AB 1452 (Hill) - As Introduced:  January 5, 2012 

          Policy Committee:                              
          TransportationVote:13-0

          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. 
          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 
            of a child who is less than eight years of age, 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 website for 
            the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Child 
            Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator.

          3)States that a public or private hospital, clinic or birthing 
            center shall not be responsible for the failure of the parent 
            or person to whom the child is released to properly transport 
            the child.


           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Minor costs to hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities 
            (including U.C. and other public facilities) to provide 
            additional information.









                                                                  AB 1452
                                                                  Page  2

          2)Local mandated costs for enforcement are not reimbursable.

           COMMENTS  

           Rationale  .  The author intends this bill to increase the 
          proportion of child car seats that are installed correctly. The 
          bill's findings and declarations cite National Highway Traffic 
          Safety Administration research showing that seven out of 10 
          children are not properly restrained in cars.  The author's 
          efforts follow the veto of AB 2667 (Hill, 2010), which was 
          substantially similar to this bill. Gov. Schwarzenegger's veto 
          message called the bill "unnecessary".

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jay Dickenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081