TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Among the hundreds of new Florida bills filed during this year’s Legislative session, one proposal would mandate that parents put their 8-year-old children in booster seats.
The bill — HB 233 — was filed back in October by state Rep. Nan Cobb (R-Eustis), and it aims to modify the state’s child restraint requirements.
Under current law, children who are 5 years old and younger are required to be strapped into an approved child restraint device in a car. With few exceptions, those rules break down as follows:
- For children aged through 3 years: The restraint device must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer’s integrated child seat.
- For children aged 4-5 years: A separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or a child booster seat may be used.
[BELOW: Florida Gov. DeSantis signs bill banning fluoride in water]
However, HB 233 would add another rule to that list for children aged 6-8 years, who must be placed in a child booster seat.
That said, the requirement doesn’t apply to any children who are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
As of Tuesday, the bill hasn’t made much headway, as it still needs to pass through two committees before it can go for a full House vote. The Senate version (SB 1384) is similarly lagging.
But if it manages to get approved by lawmakers and the governor, HB 233 is set to take effect on July 1.
[BELOW: DeSantis signs even more bills into law]