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SB 1146 Connecticut Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS FOR CHILDREN TRANSPORTED IN MOTOR VEHICLES.

SB 1146 updates Connecticut’s child passenger safety law by raising the age requirement for rear-facing car seats from under 2 years to under 3 years, while maintaining weight thresholds (under 30 lbs for rear-facing, 30-40 lbs for forward-facing or rear-facing, and 40-60 lbs for booster seats). It requires all children under 8 years old or weighing less than 60 pounds to ride in approved restraints (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster seats) that match their size and follow manufacturer instructions. The law applies to all drivers transporting children in motor vehicles on state highways, with penalties for violations ranging from infraction fines to misdemeanor charges. It takes effect October 1, 2025, and includes exemptions for school buses and older children using seat belts.
Issues: ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationUpdates child passenger safety law to enhance vehicle safety standards, directly supporting transportation safety through stricter restraint requirements.95% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 23, 2025 Last action Feb 6, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Proposed Bill → Committee Bill · 7 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to expand child restraint requirements based on age and weight, add detailed enforcement penalties and safety course mandates, and clarify applicability to student transportation vehicles. The Committee Bill significantly broadens the scope by creating multiple age/weight tiers for rear-facing and booster seat requirements, replacing the original simpler two-tier system.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a basic rear-facing requirement for children under four years to a multi-tiered system covering children up to eight years old with specific age and weight thresholds for different restraint types.
REQUIREMENT

Age and weight thresholds for rear-facing requirements changed from under four years/40 pounds to three tiers: under three years/30 pounds (rear-facing), three to five years/30-40 pounds (rear or forward-facing), and five to eight years/40-60 pounds (rear, forward-facing, or booster seat)

Added prohibition against placing rear-facing child restraint systems in front seats with functional airbags

Added specific requirements for student transportation vehicles with different age and weight thresholds

Added requirement that booster seats must be used only in vehicles equipped with shoulder belts

Added provision stating failure to use child restraint system is not contributory negligence in civil actions for children eight years or older weighing 60+ pounds

ENFORCEMENT

Added specific penalty structure with escalating fines for repeat violations and mandatory child car seat safety courses for first and second violators

DEFINITION

Added explicit requirement that child restraint systems must be appropriate for child's weight and height per manufacturer and vehicle instructions

Floor votes

How they voted

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
5
Key actions
1
Committee
3
Feb 5, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Transportation
upper
Feb 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
DRAFTED BY COMMITTEE
upper
Jan 23, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Transportation
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.