By: Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 1741
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 22, 2013;
April 22, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
and Human Services; May 17, 2013, reported adversely, with
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7,
Nays 1; May 17, 2013, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1741 By: West
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requiring child safety alarms in certain vehicles used
by child-care facilities to transport children.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Human Resources Code,
is amended by adding Section 42.0424 to read as follows:
Sec. 42.0424. CHILD SAFETY ALARMS IN VEHICLES. (a) In this
section, "electronic child safety alarm" means an alarm system that
prompts the driver of a vehicle to inspect the vehicle to determine
whether children are in the vehicle before the driver exits the
vehicle.
(b) A licensed day-care center shall equip each vehicle
owned or leased by the facility with an electronic child safety
alarm if the vehicle is:
(1) designed to seat eight or more persons; and
(2) used to transport children under the care of the
facility.
(c) The licensed day-care center shall ensure that the
electronic child safety alarm is properly maintained and used when
transporting children.
(d) The department shall adopt rules to implement this
section.
(e) This section applies only to a vehicle purchased or
leased on or after December 31, 2013.
SECTION 2. Section 42.0424, Human Resources Code, as added
by this Act, applies to a vehicle purchased or leased on or after
the effective date of this Act. A vehicle purchased or leased
before the effective date of this Act shall comply with the
requirements of Section 42.0424, Human Resources Code, as added by
this Act, not later than December 31, 2014.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect December 31, 2013.
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