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Safe Kids Sonoma County tracks and advocates for legislation that
we feel will increase the safety of children in our county. The following
is a list of bike and pedestrian legislation we are currently tracking.
Bike and Pedestrian Safety:
AB57: SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
Bill will provide a framework for future funding and will protect
existing funds
On September 12, 2007, AB57 (Soto) Safe Routes to School passed
off the Senate and Assembly Floors and headed to Governor Schwarzenegger's
desk. Unfortunately, in Senate Appropriations on August 30, the committee
struck the language from the bill requiring that the Governor include
$24.25 million for a state Safe Routes to School program (SR2S) in
each year's budget. California's Senate leaders contend that they
like SR2S but that it's better fiscal policy to not have ongoing appropriations.
Despite this set-back, the bill is still extremely important
as it will: 1) enable $52 million in existing state
SR2S funding to be spent after January 1, 2008 (the date that the
current SR2S bill expires), 2) allow for federal SR2S funds to be
swapped for state funds (easing administration burdens on local agencies),
and 3) create a framework for state SRTS funding to be included in
the state budget.
Status:
On October 14, 2007 Governor Schwarzenegger signed safe routes to school into law.
Child Passenger Safety:
Safe Kids Sonoma County tracks and advocates for legislation that
we feel will increase the safety of children in our county. The following
is a list of child passenger safety legislation we are currently tracking.
AB 881 (MULLIN) VEHICLES: CHILD PASSENGER: RESTRAINT SYSTEM
Protecting the Forgotten Child
Strengthening California’s Child Passenger Safety Standards
Current law requires children up to six years old or sixty
pounds to ride in a child restraint device in the back seat. California
needs to catch up with the other 23 states who protect their children
with stronger child passenger safety laws. The proposed law, for
which language has already been written, will:
>>read more
Status:
Governor Schwarzenegger recently vetoed the bill AB 881.
(Wednesday, October 10, 2007)
Carried by Assembly Member Mullin, the bill would have legally increased the requirement of drivers to properly restrain children in a car seat or booster seat in the back of motor vehicles until 8 years old or 4’9” tall. The bill matched best practice recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for booster seat use to 8 years old, 80 pounds, and 4’9”.
Headed back on Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk.
This bill will strengthen existing child passenger safety
laws and ultimately save lives by requiring booster seat protection
for 6 & 7 year old children seated in the back seat, mirroring
the recommendations of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s
ten-year booster seat campaign. Children in this age
group are particularly at risk because they are too big for child
safety seats and yet too small to fully benefit from seat belts,
which are designed for the average adult male.
Assembly vetoed booster seat bill
(Published 2:09 pm PDT Monday, May 7, 2007)
California children would be required to ride in booster seats for two additional years
- until age 8 - under legislation approved Monday by the Assembly.
The measure by San Francisco Democrat Gene Mullin was adopted largely
along party lines, 44-25, with most Republicans opposed.
Assembly Bill 881 would provide an exception for very tall
youngsters, 4-foot-9 or taller, who could use a seat belt rather than a booster
seat. The legislation, if signed into law, would become effective in
January 2009. Current state law requires children to ride in a car seat
until they are 4, then a booster seat until they are 6 years old or
weigh more than 60 pounds. AB 881 also would require children to ride
in the back seat of vehicles until they are 8, two years later than
current law.
Mullin's bill now goes to the Senate.
Home Safety:
Safe Kids Sonoma County tracks and advocates for legislation that we feel
will increase the safety of children in our county. The following is a
list of home safety legislation we are currently tracking.
There are no proposed laws in this area at this time.
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