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House passes bill criminalizing leaving a child unattended in a vehicle after heated debate over misdemeanor vs. infraction
Summary
The Utah House passed Senate Bill 124 on March 3, 2011, as amended, making it an offense to leave a child unattended in a motor vehicle. Members debated whether the offense should be a Class C misdemeanor or an infraction and raised concerns about criminalizing parents and overlapping state neglect statutes.
The Utah House of Representatives voted March 3 to pass Senate Bill 124, a measure that makes leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle an offense under state law. The bill passed as amended by a roll vote of 47 yes to 26 no and will be transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.
Proponents said the legislation is a targeted response to municipal ordinances they characterized as inconsistent across cities. Representative Howard, speaking for the amendment sponsored during floor debate, said the change lowers the age threshold to 9 and adds exemptions for situations on private property and for not using a conviction to revoke…
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