CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM - S.B. 661: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 661 (as introduced 6-16-99)
Sponsor: Senator Mike Rogers
Committee: Families, Mental Health and Human Services
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to require the Department of Community Health (DCH) to establish a child car seat safety grant program for the purpose of providing grants for training, promotion, and education concerning the child restraint system use requirements under the Vehicle Code. The program would have to provide grants to persons whom the DCH considered eligible. The bill would require the Legislature to appropriate $300,000 from the General Fund to fund the child care seat safety grant program.
The DCH would have to promulgate rules under the Administrative Procedures Act to implement the bill, including, but not limited to, eligibility standards for the award of a grant.
(The Vehicle Code currently requires that a driver transporting a child in a motor vehicle secure a child less than one year of age in a child restraint system that meets standards prescribed in Federal rules. A child one year of age or older, but less than four years old, must be secured in a child restraint system that meets Federal standards, when transported in the front seat of the car; when transported in the back seat, a child one year of age or older, but less than four, must be secured in a child restraint system or be secured by a safety belt provided in the motor vehicle.
Public Act 29 of 1999 amended these provisions to require a child under four to be in a child restraint system, regardless of where he or she is seated. Public Act 29 will take effect on the 91st day after the Legislature adjourns sine die.)
Proposed MCL 257.710g - Legislative Analyst: P. Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
As this bill would appropriate $300,000 GF/GP for the grant program, one may assume that this would be the maximum cost to the State. Of course, as it is not clear whether funds also are intended to cover administrative costs, there could be additional costs of this nature. In addition, some Statewide health care savings could accrue if this grant program reduced death and injury from lack of, or improper use of, child restraint systems. However, according to the "National SAFE KIDS Campaign", even correctly installed and properly used child safety seats will not eliminate child fatalities or serious injury in automobile accidents. (This organization reports 71% and 54% reductions in fatalities for infants and children aged one through four respectively, and a 69% reduction in hospitalization for children four and under when restraints are properly used.)
Given the relatively small number of deaths of children below 10 years of age in car crashes (for 1994, 18 deaths where restraints were not used and 17 where restraints were used), quantifying those probable savings would be difficult at best.
- Fiscal Analyst: J. WalkerS9900\s661sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.