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An Act Concerning Maine's Highway Safety Laws
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 23 MRSA §4208, first ¶,  as amended by PL 1989, c. 616, §1, is further amended to read:
The Department of Public Safety is authorized to conduct defensive driving courses for the purpose of promoting highway safety and to charge a registration fee of $20$35 to participants in the defensive driving courses conducted under the auspices of the department. The fee shallmust be used to cover the cost of conducting the courses. Any balances remaining at the end of the fiscal year shallmay not lapse but shallmust be carried forward to be used for the purposes stated in this section.
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2081, sub-§3, ¶B,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 380, §3 and affected by §5, is further amended to read:
 
B.  The operator shall ensure that a child who is less than 18 years of age and at least 8 years of age or who is less than 18 years of age and more than 4 feet, 79 inches in height is properly secured in a seat belt.
 
SUMMARY
This bill increases the registration fee for participation in defensive driving courses. The bill also increases the minimum height requirement a person less than 18 years of age must meet to use a seat belt instead of a child restraint system; this change makes Maine law consistent with federal requirements.