SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2008 SESSION

083548596
HOUSE BILL NO. 131
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the House Committee on Transportation
on February 5, 2008)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Lewis)
A BILL to amend and reenact § 46.2-1098 of the Code of Virginia, relating to use of child-restraint devices in motor vehicles; penalties.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 46.2-1098 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 46.2-1098. Penalties; violations not negligence per se.

Any person, including those subject to jurisdiction of a juvenile and domestic relations district court, found guilty of violating this article shall be subject to a civil penalty of fifty dollars, which shall not be suspended in whole or in part, for a violation of § 46.2-1095, or, if applicable, a; however, any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of § 46.2-1095 shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor, and, in addition, the driving privileges of any person convicted of a third or subsequent violation shall be suspended for 30 days. A civil penalty of twenty dollars shall be imposed for failure to carry a statement as required by § 46.2-1096. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of § 46.2-1095, the court may waive or suspend the imposition of the penalty for a violation of § 46.2-1095 if it finds that the failure of the defendant to comply with the section was due to his financial inability to acquire a child restraint system. All civil penalties collected pursuant to this section shall be paid into the Child Restraint Device Special Fund as provided for in § 46.2-1097.

No assignment of demerit points shall be made under Article 19 (§ 46.2-489 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of this title and no court costs shall be assessed for violation of § 46.2-1095.

Violations of this article shall not constitute negligence per se; nor shall violation of this article constitute a defense to any claim for personal injuries to a child or recovery of medical expenses for injuries sustained in any motor vehicle accident.