Vehicles: child passenger restraints.

Assembly Member Wilson’s measure would redefine what it means for a child or other passenger to be properly restrained by a seat belt by adopting a five-step test as the standard, with that definition taking effect on January 1, 2027. The author frames this change as aligning California practice with an approach that emphasizes belt fit and seating position, and notes the intent to maintain compatibility with federal requirements for automatic restraints in new vehicles.

Key provisions set out a comprehensive belt-use framework that applies to motor vehicles broadly and to buses in particular. Under the bill, a person may not operate a highway vehicle unless all passengers age 16 and over are properly restrained by a safety belt, and bus occupants must be belted if they are 16 or older. For younger passengers, the measure preserves arrangements for child passenger restraints or safety belts that meet applicable federal standards, including specific rules for eight- to fifteen-year-olds and for children under eight who are four feet nine inches tall or shorter. The “properly restrained” standard is defined by the five-step test: the occupant sits fully back against the seat, knees over the edge of the seat, the shoulder belt crosses the chest and shoulder rather than the neck, the lap belt lies low and touches the thighs, and the occupant can remain in this position for the trip. The bill also adds new requirements for motor carriers to inform passengers about the seatbelt rule and to post clear signage where belts are present.

Implementation involves several new and amended provisions that would become operative in 2027. It creates additional belt-related requirements for buses, including a mandate that bus operators, and in some instances motor carriers, ensure that passengers wear safety belts and that belts are maintained in good working order where the vehicle is equipped with them. Violations of belt-use provisions are designated as infractions, with fines set at up to twenty dollars for a first offense and up to fifty dollars for subsequent offenses. The measure provides that, in situations of life-threatening emergency or when no child restraint system is available, alternative restraints may be used, subject to the five-step standard, and includes transitional provisions for certain passenger-class exemptions and front-seat considerations.

Beyond belt-use mechanics, the bill would modify how the state treats costs for local agencies and school districts. It states that no reimbursement is required for the new duties imposed on local governments as a result of the act, reflecting a broader context in which the measure positions itself within the existing framework for state-mandated local programs. The author’s findings claim that mandatory seatbelt laws contribute to reducing highway deaths and injuries by promoting belt usage and that the approach remains compatible with federal standards for automatic restraints, while emphasizing that manual belts alone do not fully address the safety challenge. The proposal also addresses particular circumstances for life-threatening emergencies and for school buses, and it preserves certain temporary provisions that would expire or be repealed by January 1, 2027, signaling an orderly transition to the new framework.