An Iowa Senate subcommittee moved Senate Study Bill 1026 on Thursday. The bill would increase the requirement for rear-facing car seats from one year old or less than 20 pounds to three years old or less than 30 pounds. Front-facing booster seats would increase from six years old to eight years old.
However, an amendment is expected to be offered to lower it from three years old to two years old. The bill was introduced by the Department of Public Safety.
Senator Mike Klimesh said Iowa has a “fairly bad” ranking when it comes to ejections and safety protocol.
Susan Fenton from the Iowa Department of Transportation said the DOT believes public safety is important, especially for kids, and will likely register in support of the bill.
Brett Tjepkes, the bureau chief for the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, said the bill would put Iowa in better alignment with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, American Academy of Pediatrics, CDC as well as bordering states for best practices guidelines.
Chaney Yeast of Blank Children’s Hospital said they are registered in support and thanked for the department for bringing the bill forward. She said it will help protect children from injuries.
“If you ask any pediatrician they will tell you for their own kids they currently have their kids rear-facing,” she said. “We just know because they’re so much safer.”
The bill will now advance to the Iowa Senate Transportation Committee.
