Guinn signs kids-left-in-cars bill

Tuesday, June 7, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn signed 38 bills into law on Monday, including one that aims to prevent people from leaving children alone in vehicles when doing so would place the child in danger. Senate Bill 287 makes it a misdemeanor to leave a child 7 or younger unsupervised in a vehicle if the weather and other factors "present a significant risk to health and safety" of the youngster or if the engine is running or the keys are in the ignition.

As long as there is someone older than 11 to supervise the younger child in the vehicle, there would be no violation of the new law.

The measure also gives the court the authority to suspend the misdemeanor penalty if a person cited for the offense takes an educational course on the dangers of leaving a child unattended. It also provides law enforcement officers protection from lawsuits regarding removal of children from vehicles.

SB287 won't take effect until Oct. 1, despite the fact that most of the injuries and deaths of children left in cars occur during the summer.

Sen. Valerie Weiner, D-Las Vegas, the chief sponsor of the bill, said Oct. 1 is the normal date that laws take effect. She said that was the way the measure was drafted and there was no discussion in committee about making it effective immediately so that it would be on the books for the remainder of the summer.

Weiner said there is going to be an intense educational program for law enforcement officers who will now be able to take the child out of the unattended car.

"This is a new tool," she said.

Also approved by the governor was Assembly Bill 348 that makes it a misdemeanor to sell or use a device that can trigger a traffic signal to turn green. Only emergency vehicles and public bus systems will be able to legally use the devices.

The bill allows a police officer, without a warrant, to seize such a device if they discover one. The officer could seize the vehicle if the mobile transmitter cannot be removed from the car. The vehicle would be towed and held until the transmitter was removed. And the owner would have to pay the cost of towing and impoundment.

The measure exempts police from lawsuits regarding such seizures. The law becomes effective Oct. 1 Another new law that takes effect at the same time ends the practice of allowing legislators to remain unnamed when they ask for a bill to be drafted. Assembly Bill 415, approved by the governor, deletes from the law the provision a lawmaker may ask that his name not be disclosed.

The Legislative Counsel Bureau releases a list of requested bills starting each July before the Legislature and now the name of the sponsor will have to be listed with each bill.

The 38 bills signed Monday by Guinn raises the total number of bills approved by Guinn this session to 290.