Florida Senate - 2023                             CS for SB 1374
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator Perry
       
       
       
       
       
       596-03506-23                                          20231374c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to child restraint requirements;
    3         amending s. 316.613, F.S.; revising requirements for
    4         the use of a crash-tested, federally approved child
    5         restraint device while transporting a child in a motor
    6         vehicle; providing an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
   11  316.613, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   12         316.613 Child restraint requirements.—
   13         (1)(a) Every operator of a motor vehicle as defined in this
   14  section, while transporting a child in a motor vehicle operated
   15  on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, must shall,
   16  if the child is 7 5 years of age or younger, provide for
   17  protection of the child by properly using a crash-tested,
   18  federally approved child restraint device.
   19         1. For children aged through 2 3 years, such restraint
   20  device must be a rear-facing five-point harness separate carrier
   21  or a vehicle manufacturer’s integrated child seat.
   22         2. For children aged 3 4 through 4 5 years, such restraint
   23  device must be a forward-facing or rear-facing five-point
   24  harness.
   25         3. For children aged 5 through 7 years, such restraint
   26  device must be a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or
   27  a child booster seat that incorporates the use of the motor
   28  vehicle’s safety belt as defined in s. 316.614(3)(b) or must be
   29  a forward-facing five-point harness may be used. However, the
   30  requirement to use a child restraint device under this
   31  subparagraph does not apply when a safety belt is used as
   32  required in s. 316.614(4)(a) and the child:
   33         a. Is being transported gratuitously by an operator who is
   34  not a member of the child’s immediate family;
   35         b. Is being transported in a medical emergency situation
   36  involving the child; or
   37         c. Has a medical condition that necessitates an exception
   38  as evidenced by appropriate documentation from a health care
   39  professional.
   40         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2023.