SENATE DOCKET, NO. 844        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1521

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul R. Feeney

_________________

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 seat belt law.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Paul R. Feeney

Bristol and Norfolk

 

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

1/25/2023

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

2/3/2023

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

2/6/2023

Patrick M. O'Connor

First Plymouth and Norfolk

2/10/2023

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/13/2023

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

4/12/2023


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 844        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1521

By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1521) of Paul R. Feeney, Hannah Kane, Susannah M. Whipps, Thomas M. Stanley and other members of the General Court for legislation to establish a primary seat belt law.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1591 OF 2021-2022.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

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 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the second paragraph and inserting in the place thereof the following paragraph:-

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. Fees derived from primary seat belt citations shall be deposited in the Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund established in Section 59 of Chapter 10.

SECTION 2. The provisions of Section 1 shall take effect 180 days from the effective date of this act.