27 March 2006

Sebelius signs law to protect Kansas kids
Booster seats bill among three bills signed today

TOPEKA, Kan. – Surrounded by kindergarteners and pre-school students at Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church, Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed a bill today designed to keep children safe as they ride in vehicles.

“This is one of the common-sense steps we can take to keep kids safe. Making sure young children are in booster seats or other appropriate restraints will help protect them in the event of an accident,” said Sebelius.

The bill, HB 2611, amends the Child Passenger Safety Act by establishing the following guidelines for child passenger restraints:

• A child under the age of four must have the most appropriate child passenger safety restraining system for his or her age (regulations are set by federal motor vehicle safety standard number 213);
• Children ages four to seven, when weighing less than 80 pounds or measuring less than four feet nine inches in height, must have a child safety passenger restraining system that meets or exceeds the federal standard;
• At the time of issuing a citation, the law enforcement officer will notify the driver that the fine will be waived if the driver later shows proof to the court that the appropriate and approved child passenger safety restraining system has been purchased or acquired; and
• Children 8 to 14 years of age, when weighing more that 80 pounds or measuring at least four feet nine inches in height, must have a standard passenger safety restraining system.

Under this new law, if a vehicle is transporting more child passengers than the number of safety restraining systems, or if it only has lap restraining systems, the driver would not be charged with a violation. The bill also raises the fine for a child safety system traffic violation from $20 to $60, with $40 of that credited to the Children’s Advocacy Center Fund.

This bill will take effect upon publication in the statute book.

In addition to the child booster seats bill, Governor Sebelius signed two additional bills.

Changing governing personnel evaluations for employees of Kansas schools and colleges

SB 436 separates the statutes governing personnel evaluations for employees of community colleges from those for employees of school districts and area vocational-technical schools, moving community colleges to the chapter dealing with postsecondary education. This bill will take effect upon publication in the statute book.

Increasing standards for veterinarians

HB 2835 allows the Board of Veterinary Examiners to take appropriate action with respect to a veterinarian’s license if there is failure to provide a written response within the time prescribed by the Board to a written request pursuant to an investigation by the Board. The bill also adds a violation of an order by the Board to the examples of unprofessional conduct. The bill adds to the circumstances under which a veterinarian’s confidentiality privilege of protecting information regarding a client would be waived, including reporting cruel or inhumane treatment to an animal, providing information where necessary to provide care in an emergency where the absence of medical attention could be expected to place the animal’s health in jeopardy and providing information where the failure to disclose vaccination information may endanger the public’s health, safety, or welfare. The fine authority of the Board would increase from $2,000 to $5,000 against a licensee for causes outlined in the law. This bill will take effect after publication in the statute book.

Governor Sebelius has now signed 44 bills into law and vetoed two during the 2006 Legislative Session.