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: 12 316.613Child 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 manufacturers 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 vehicles 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 childs 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.