SB 141

Under current Department of Children and Families (DCF) administrative

rules, a child may not be left unattended in a vehicle that transports children to or

from a day care center that is licensed by DCF, a day care provider that is certified

according to standards adopted by DCF, or a day care program that is established or

contracted for by a school board (child care provider).

Under this bill, a child care provider or contractor of a child care provider that

owns or leases a child care vehicle must install a child safety alarm, which has been

approved by DCF, before the child care vehicle is placed in service. Under the bill,

"child care vehicle" means "a vehicle that has a seating capacity of six or more

passengers in addition to the driver, that is owned or leased by a child care provider

or a contractor of a child care provider, and that is used to transport children to and

from the child care provider." Under the bill, "child safety alarm" means "an alarm

system that prompts the driver of a child care vehicle to inspect the child care vehicle

for children before exiting the child care vehicle." The bill, however, grants to a child

care provider or contractor of a child care provider that owns or leases a child care

vehicle that is in use before the effective date of the bill a grace period of three months

after the effective date of the bill to install a child safety alarm. Under the bill, any

person who knowingly transports a child to or from a child care provider in a child

care vehicle in which a child safety alarm has not been installed, is not properly

maintained, or is not in good working order may be fined not more than $1,000 or

imprisoned for not more than one year in the county jail or both. The same penalty

applies to any child care provider or contractor of a child care provider that

knowingly permits a child to be transported in a child care vehicle it owns or leases

and in which a child safety alarm has not been installed, is not properly maintained,

or is not in good working order.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,

the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a

report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to

result if the bill is enacted.