Delaware Child Safety Seat Legislation Passes House
Delaware legislation pertaining to child safety seats that was introduced on April 19th has passed the State House. Senate Bill 68 revises the safety seat requirements which currently requires an “appropriate” car seat or booster. This Act removes the existing fine for the first offense and requests law enforcement to provide a referral to the Office of Highway Safety car seat fitting station for guidance and education regarding proper use of a child restraint. Under this Act, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security is required to implement an awareness campaign within 180 days of enactment. The bill is ready for action by Governor Carney. Details of the Act are as follows:
• Children under 2 years and under 30 pounds must be seated in a rear-facing seat with a 5-point harness.
• Children under 4 years and under 40 pounds must be seated in either a forward facing or rear-facing seat with a 5-point harness.
• Children between the ages of 4 and 16, must be seated in a booster based upon the manufacturer’s guidelines or a seatbelt.
The primary sponsor of Senate Bill 68 is Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, and one of the co-sponsors is State Senator Brian Pettyjohn (representing Delaware’s19th Senatorial District). A list of all the sponsors and other information can be found at this link:
Bill Detail – Delaware General Assembly
