SENATE DOCKET, NO. 880        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 950

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act establishing a primary seat belt law..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

   SECTION  1. Section 13A of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the seventh paragraph in line 23 and inserting in place thereof the following:--

Any person who operates a motor vehicle without a safety belt, and any person sixteen years of age or over who rides as a passenger in a motor vehicle without wearing a safety belt in violation of this section, shall be subject to a fine of fifty dollars. Any operator of a motor vehicle shall be subject to an additional fine of fifty dollars for each person under the age of sixteen and no younger than twelve who is a passenger in said motor vehicle and not wearing a safety belt. The provisions of this section shall be enforced by law enforcement agencies when an operator of a motor vehicle or passenger who rides in the motor vehicle is not wearing a safety belt in violation of motor vehicle laws. Safety belt violations will not result in surcharges on motor vehicle insurance premiums and a police officer may not search or inspect a motor vehicle, its contents, the driver, or a passenger solely because of a violation of this section.