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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Barela
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/17/2007
HB 852
SHORT TITLE Unattended Children in Vehicle Penalties
SB
ANALYST Schuss
REVENUE (dollars in thousands)
Estimated Revenue
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
FY09
$0.1*
$0.1* Recurring General Fund
and Local Funds
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases) * Minimal Impact
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Public Defender Department (PDD)
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 852 provides for penalties for leaving children unattended in a motor vehicle. A
person shall not leave a child in a motor vehicle that is eight years of age or younger without the
child being supervised by a person fourteen years of age or older if:
it presents a risk to the child’s health or safety,
or the engine of the motor vehicle is running or the keys or other starting mechanism for
the motor vehicle is left within the reach of the child.
The penalties are $200 for the first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The general fund and local funds will see some additional revenue from the new penalty
assessments.
pg_0002
House Bill 852 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
DPS reports that the penalty assessment seems appropriate particularly since it does not preclude
the charging of a higher crime if necessary.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS
The reduction of child related injuries and accidents upon being left unattended in a motor
vehicle should occur due to this new inclusion in the motor vehicle code
BS/mt