BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1452
Author: Hill (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMM. : 8-1, 6/12/12
AYES: DeSaulnier, Harman, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Pavley, Rubio,
Simitian, Wyland
NOES: Gaines
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 61-14, 4/9/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Child passenger restraint systems
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires hospitals, clinics, and
birthing centers, when discharging a child, to give the
parent or the person to whom the child is released specific
contact information for organizations that provide
assistance with the use, law, and installation of child
passenger restraint systems.
ANALYSIS : Existing law prohibits a parent or guardian
from transporting a child who is eight years of age or
younger, or who is less than four feet nine inches tall in
a motor vehicle, unless that child is in a
federally-approved child safety seat in the rear seat of
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the vehicle. When a parent or guardian is not present,
then this responsibility falls to the driver of the
vehicle.
Existing law requires that each time a hospital, clinic, or
birthing center discharges a child under age eight that
personnel must provide and discuss information on the
current law requiring child safety seats with the person to
whom the child is released.
This bill requires personnel from a hospital, clinic, and
birthing center, when discharging a child age eight or
younger, to provide and discuss with the person to whom the
child is released information to direct that person to a
website or other contact that could provide at no or low
cost information and assistance on child passenger
restraint system requirements, installation, and
inspection. This bill specifies that such contact
information may include:
Seatcheck.org or its toll free phone number,
1-866-SEAT-CHECK. (SeatCheck is an informational
campaign led by the Chrysler Corporation, along with
private and public partners, to promote safely securing
children in motor vehicles.)
The telephone number of the local office of the
California Highway Patrol.
The Web site for the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's (NHTSA's) Child Safety Seat Inspection
Station Locator.
The Web site for the Department of Public Health's child
passenger restraint system safety inspection locator.
Comments
The author introduced this bill to improve the safety of
children traveling in motor vehicles by providing parents
with information about child passenger restraint systems.
The author notes that even though current law already
requires the use of child passenger restraint systems,
research by NHTSA shows that 70% of children are improperly
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restrained. This stands in stark contrast to the 96% of
parents who, according to SeatCheck, believe their child
safety seats are installed correctly. Additional education
and information about the correct usage of these systems
can save lives.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of
children 3 to 14 years of age. NHTSA estimates that proper
usage of child safety seats could reduce fatal injury by
71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 to 4 years.
Prior legislation . In 2010, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed
AB 2667 (Hill), a bill very similar to this one. His veto
message stated in part: "This measure would specify that a
hospital would also have to provide information to parents
on how to contact someone to assist in the installation of
a child restraint seat. While this additional requirement
may not be burdensome on hospitals, it is simply
unnecessary. Parents must take responsibility for the
installation and use of child restraint systems."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/26/12)
American Academy of Pediatrics
American College of Emergency Physicians, California
Chapter
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
The Child Abuse Prevention Center
Crime Victims United of California
SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The American Academy of Pediatrics
states, "Research done by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) has shown 70% of children are
improperly restrained in vehicles which puts children at
risk to injury and death in a crash. The leading cause of
death in children 3 to 14 are motor vehicle crashes. Many
of these deaths could be avoided if the child were properly
restrained. It is estimated that seven out of ten children
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are improperly restrained when in a vehicle. The proper
safety precautions can reduce fatal injuries by 71% for
infants, and 54% for toddlers aged one to four years of
age. As this bill applies only to children eight years and
under, specific information, and consequently awareness
helps to protect California's youngest children who are
most physically vulnerable as passengers in a vehicle. AB
1452 provides a proactive and specific approach to the
issue of child vehicle safety."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 61-14, 4/9/12
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Campos, Carter, Chesbro,
Conway, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Furutani, Beth Gaines, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon,
Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber,
Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma,
Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell, Monning, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel
P�rez, Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson,
Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada,
John A. P�rez
NOES: Donnelly, Garrick, Gorell, Grove, Halderman, Jones,
Knight, Logue, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Olsen,
Smyth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Charles Calderon, Cedillo, Cook, Hagman,
Mansoor
JJA:m 6/26/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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