Bill
S 2450
Raises fines for drivers who don't belt child passengers (up to $100 per unbelted child under 16) and adds approved driver-ed material to the RMV Driver's Manual.
Status and procedural notes
- Bill number: S 2450
- Title (bill text): An Act to protect the health and well‑being of child passengers in vehicles
- Introduced / filed: bill text shows filed 1/13/2025; other records show introduced 7/24/2025.
- Current status (from provided actions): Referred to committee(s) (entries show Transportation, Agriculture/Nutrition/Forestry, and Mental Health); hearings were scheduled/rescheduled for 10/21/2025.
- Sponsors/metadata: Petitioners listed in the bill text are Senators Bruce E. Tarr and Patrick J. Kearney. A separate sponsor list in the record contains names that appear inconsistent with the state bill (Chuck Grassley, Martin Heinrich, Leroy Comrie). The provided metadata contains multiple inconsistencies (dates, committees and sponsor lists) — the substantive summary below is based on the bill text.
Purpose and intent
- The bill seeks to strengthen protections for child passengers by (1) increasing and clarifying civil fines for operators who fail to secure child passengers, and (2) requiring approved driver‑education materials about the health and safety risks of unsecured children in vehicles to be included in the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Driver’s Manual.
Key provisions
1. Amendment to Section 7AA, Chapter 90
- Replaces an existing sentence to specify that an operator who violates the section is subject to a fine of not more than $100.
- Provides an explicit exception: the $100 fine does not apply to taxi cabs that are not equipped with a child passenger restraint device.
Amendment to Section 13A, Chapter 90
Driver‑education content
Who would be affected
- Motor vehicle operators (drivers) in Massachusetts: increased fines for failing to secure child passengers, and potentially more frequent or larger penalties per unbelted child passenger.
- Taxi operators: provided an explicit limited exemption from the $100 fine in Section 7AA if their vehicle is not equipped with a child restraint device (but may still be subject to other applicable penalties).
- Driver‑education providers and all new drivers: RMV Driver’s Manual would include approved materials on risks to unsecured children.
Likely impacts and considerations
- Stronger financial deterrent aimed at increasing compliance with child restraint and seatbelt laws by raising penalties from $25 to $100 per unbelted child and expanding age coverage to all children under 16.
- Potential operational impact on taxi services that lack child restraint devices (explicit limited exemption may relieve fine exposure but does not address safety equipment requirements).
- Implementation will require RMV approval of educational content and incorporation into driver education materials.
Procedural next steps and timeline (as provided)
- Read twice and referred to a committee (record shows Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on 7/24/2025); later entries show referral to Transportation (2/27/2025) and hearings scheduled for 10/21/2025. The record also lists referrals to Mental Health (1/17/2025). Because the supplied procedural record contains conflicting entries, consultees should verify the current committee of jurisdiction and hearing status with the Senate clerk or legislative website.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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