SLS 19RS-217 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 76
BY SENATOR TARVER
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
MOTOR VEHICLES. Provides relative to child safety seats. (8/1/19)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 32:295(A)(1)(a) and (b), relative to child passenger restraint
3 systems; to increase the age a child shall be restrained in a rear-facing child safety
4 seat; to increase the age and weight a child shall be restrained in a forward-facing
5 child safety seat; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 32:295(A)(1)(a) and (b) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as
8 follows:
9 ยง295. Child passenger restraint system
10 A. Except as provided in Subsections C, D, and E of this Section, every
11 driver in this state who transports a child or children under the age of thirteen years
12 in a motor vehicle which is equipped with safety belts shall have the child properly
13 secured as follows:
14 (1) A child younger than six years of age or weighing sixty pounds or less
15 shall be restrained in a child restraint system as provided for in this Subsection that
16 complies with standards of the United States Department of Transportation and is
17 secured in the vehicle in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer of the
Page 1 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 76
SLS 19RS-217 ORIGINAL
1 child restraint system and the passenger seating position is equipped with a safety
2 belt system that allows sufficient space for installation. The child restraint system
3 required for a child younger than six years of age or weighing sixty pounds or less
4 is, in descending order of protectiveness, as follows:
5 (a) A child who is younger than one year two years of age or weighs less
6 than twenty pounds shall be restrained in a rear-facing child safety seat.
7 (b) A child who is at least one year two years of age but younger than four
8 years of age or who weighs at least twenty pounds but less than forty sixty pounds
9 shall be restrained in a forward-facing child safety seat.
10 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Sharon F. Lyles.
DIGEST
SB 76 Original 2019 Regular Session Tarver
Present law requires a child younger than one year of age or who weighs less than 20 pounds
to be restrained in a rear-facing child protective system.
Proposed law changes present law to increase the age from one year to two years.
Present law requires a child who is at least one year of age but younger than four years of
age or who weighs at least 20 pounds but less than 40 pounds to be restrained in a forward-
facing child restraint system.
Proposed law changes present law to increase the age from one year to two years and to
increase the weight from less than 40 pounds to less than 60 pounds.
Effective August 1, 2019.
(Amends R.S. 32:295(A)(1)(a) and (b))
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.