Brief (1)
SB 416 increases the fine for failure of each front seat occupant of a passenger car to wear a seat belt from $10 to $25.
Background
The bill, as introduced, would have required seat belts to be worn by all passengers in a passenger car, made failure to wear a seat belt a primary traffic offense and raised the penalty to $25.
The bill was requested by the Governor to strengthen seat belt laws. The bill was supported by the Kansas Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Health and Environment, the Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Lenexa Police Department, the Kansas Public Health Association, the Kansas State Nurses Association, the State Farm Insurance Company, the Kansas Safe Kids Coalition, and others. The bill was opposed by Abate, Inc. of Kansas.
The Senate Committee deleted all amendments except raising the penalty to $25. The bill has no fiscal impact on the state.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html