3/15/04-The Assembly rejected a bill that would have allowed police to pull over drivers for failure to wear a seat belt.
Assembly lawmakers voted 58-41 March 10 to refer AB90 back to committee, effectively killing the measure.
Rep. John Ainsworth, R-Shawano, the bill’s sponsor, tried unsuccessfully to amend the plan last week to draw support.
Under his proposed amendment, the law would have lapsed after two years if there were evidence of racial profiling or if the federal funding didn’t materialize. The amendment would have forbidden police from searching a vehicle or its occupants if a vehicle is pulled over solely for a seat-belt violation.
Current law permits police to issue seat-belt citations only if they stop drivers for another traffic violation. The bill also would have increased the fine for violators from $10 to $25.

Click here to read the 2003 legislative updates for AB90.