SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1610        FILED ON: 1/21/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1211

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Patricia D. Jehlen

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act establishing a primary safety belt law.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Patricia D. Jehlen

 

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex

William N. Brownsberger

 

Katherine M. Clark

Fifth Middlesex

Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera

10th Hampden

Thomas P. Conroy

13th Middlesex

James B. Eldridge

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

Stephen Kulik

1st Franklin

Jason M. Lewis

31st Middlesex

Elizabeth A. Malia

11th Suffolk

Mark C. Montigny

 

Richard T. Moore

 

Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.

34th Middlesex

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

Martha M. Walz

8th Suffolk

James T. Welch

 


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1610        FILED ON: 1/21/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1211

By Ms. Jehlen, petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1211) of Welch, Walz, Story and other members of the General Court for legislation to establish a primary safety belt law [Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security].

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

An Act establishing a primary safety 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 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the second paragraph in line 25 and inserting in place thereof the following:-

Any person who operates a motor vehicle without a safety belt, and any person 16 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 50 dollars. Any operator of a motor vehicle shall be subject to an additional fine of 50 dollars for each person under the age of 16 and no younger than 12 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.