News Gov. Jerry Brown Signs CA booster law!!!!

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morninglori

New member
I believe Jan 1, 2012.

from overview of CA legislative process
Governor

If both houses approve a bill, it then goes to the Governor. The Governor has three choices. The Governor can sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without his or her signature, or veto it. A governor's veto can be overridden by a two thirds vote in both houses. Most bills go into effect on the first day of January of the next year. Urgency measures take effect immediately after they are signed or allowed to become law without signature.​
 

tjham

New member
I don't think very many kids will be 4'9' at 7 years old! :p



I wish it said *8 and under* instead of *under 8*.

*Under 8* is, uh, only 7! Better than *under 6*, but still.


And better than Arizona law which is *under 5*. :rolleyes:
 

Qarin

New member
"under 8" is 7years364days (or 365 in a leap year!).

The careful definition of what "properly restrained" means is what makes this a stand-out law to me.

(2) For purposes of this section the phrase, "properly restrained
by a safety belt" means that the lower (lap) portion of the belt
crosses the hips or upper thighs of the occupant and the upper
(shoulder) portion of the belt, if present, crosses the chest in
front of the occupant.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
YAY!!! I wrote a letter, I know a lot of us did, I am SO EXCITED he signed it! We were waiting for a new governor; the Gubernator vetoed booster laws twice, so we gave up while he was in office.

And yes, the "properly restrained" clause was very, very carefully written, to not only provide for proper restraint for all occupants in California and make it impossible for cops to keep ignoring kids who meet the legal minimum but don't meet the "proper use of the seatbelt" clause, but also to provide precedent for other states. :D
 

2BunniesMommy

Well-known member
This rocks! Not gonna make a difference for my kids, but so many others. Now need to get AZ on board before my nephew gets old enough for it to matter. Working on getting him back rearfacing at the moment. (he's only 10 months old)
 

lanwenyi

New member
Yeah!!!!

I've been waiting to see what would happen.

However, I really wonder if this will make a difference at the school where I taught (and my DH teaches). I taught Kinder last year and *most* of my students were under 6 (I had mostly summer-Nov babies, so they turned 5 at the beginning of Kinder and wouldn't turn 6 until 1st grade). Over half of them rode in the front seat of their parents' car w/ nothing (not even a seatbelt, let alone a booster). When you count the over-loaded cars (5+ kids climbing out of the back of a sedan/hatchback), most of my students were improperly restrained.

I'm sure (at least I hope) there will be programs to help these people get free/reduced price boosters for their kids (this particular school has a 98% free/reduced lunch population), but I wonder, will they go? If they do get them, will the boosters ever get used? Many of them live 15+ people to a 1 bdrm appt and they all share 1 car (that breaks down all the time).

I'm sure that the legal change will make a difference for higher income populations, but I worry about my babies at that school. I may not teach there right now, but my heart is still there.
 

Qarin

New member
However, I really wonder if this will make a difference at the school where I taught (and my DH teaches).

Well, in the short term at least, publicizing of the new law will likely increase awareness a lot and I suspect will give a bit of an uptick to compliance for a while.

Really, California's law hasn't changed at all- it requires a booster seat until you fit in just the seat belt, but now you can't legally really even try for seat belt only until age 8-or-4'9", instead of age 6-or-60lbs, and maybe with a legal definition of proper fit, that part of the law will actually be paid attention to (but I have my doubts); if not then at least or a while more kids will be in boosters.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Yeah, there will always be people who choose to ignore the law or can't comply for whatever reason. There are also people who don't care but do what the law says anyway.

There will be tons of people up in arms about it.

But ultimately, any difference it makes will be a positive one.
 

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