Florida Senate - 2014                                     SB 518
       
       
        
       By Senator Flores
       
       
       
       
       
       37-00580A-14                                           2014518__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to child safety devices in motor
    3         vehicles; amending s. 316.613, F.S.; revising child
    4         restraint requirements for children who are younger
    5         than a specified age and less than a specified height;
    6         requiring an operator of a motor vehicle to use a
    7         separate carrier or integrated child seat; subjecting
    8         a violation to penalties; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and subsection
   13  (5) of section 316.613, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   14         316.613 Child restraint requirements.—
   15         (1)(a) Every operator of a motor vehicle as defined in this
   16  section, while transporting a child in a motor vehicle operated
   17  on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall, if
   18  the child is 7 5 years of age or younger and less than 4 feet 9
   19  inches in height, provide for protection of the child by
   20  properly using a crash-tested, federally approved child
   21  restraint device.
   22         1. For children aged through 3 years, such restraint device
   23  must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer’s
   24  integrated child seat.
   25         2. For children aged 4 through 7 5 years and less than 4
   26  feet 9 inches in height, a separate carrier or, an integrated
   27  child seat must, or a seat belt may be used.
   28         (5) A Any person who violates this section commits a moving
   29  violation, punishable as provided in chapter 318 and shall have
   30  3 points shall be assessed against his or her driver license as
   31  set forth in s. 322.27. In lieu of the penalty specified in s.
   32  318.18 and the assessment of points, a person who violates this
   33  section may elect, with the court’s approval, to participate in
   34  a child restraint safety program approved by the chief judge of
   35  the circuit in which the violation occurs, and, upon completing
   36  such program, the penalty specified in chapter 318 and
   37  associated costs may be waived at the court’s discretion and the
   38  assessment of points shall be waived. The child restraint safety
   39  program must use a course approved by the Department of Highway
   40  Safety and Motor Vehicles, and the fee for the course must bear
   41  a reasonable relationship to the cost of providing the course.
   42         Section 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2015.