SB280 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bobby D. SingletonSenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Motor vehicles, seat belt use required for each occupant while vehicle is in motion, Secs. 32-5B-4 am'd.

Summary

SB 280 would require front-seat occupants of passenger cars to have seat belts fastened when the vehicle is moving, with several exemptions, and it interacts with Alabama’s local-funding rules.

What This Bill Does

It amends Section 32-5B-4 to require front-seat occupants of passenger cars to wear safety belts while the vehicle is in motion. It adds a list of exemptions (certain child passengers, medical exemptions, rural letter carriers, newspaper/mail deliverers, older model cars, and reverse-operated vehicles). It designates the act as the Roderic Deshaun Scott Seat Belt Safety Act and sets an effective date after passage and governor approval. It also notes that, although it would involve local government funding, the bill is exempt from local-funding vote requirements because it defines or amends a crime.

Who It Affects

• Front-seat occupants of passenger cars would be required to wear seat belts and could be charged if they don’t.
• Local governments and taxpayers are affected by the local-funding rule provisions and the crime-definition exception, which changes how the measure interacts with funding approvals.

Key Provisions

• Section 32-5B-4 is amended to require front-seat occupants of passenger cars to have a seat belt properly fastened when the vehicle is in motion; an adult occupant is the person to be charged for violations.
• Exemptions apply for: (1) children governed by Section 32-5-222, (2) medical exemptions with a physician's written statement, (3) rural U.S. Postal Service letter carriers, (4) newspaper or mail deliverers, (5) vehicles model-year before 1965, (6) vehicles that normally operate in reverse.
• The act is named the Roderic Deshaun Scott Seat Belt Safety Act.
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.
• The bill is treated as defining a new crime or amending an existing crime, which exempts it from Amendment 621 local-funding requirements (no 2/3 vote or local approval needed).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Motor Vehicles