48.658 Child safety alarms in child care vehicles.

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Child care provider" means a child care center that is licensed under s. 48.65 (1), a child care provider that is certified under s. 48.651, or a child care program that is established or contracted for under s. 120.13 (14).

(b) “Child care vehicle" means a vehicle that has a seating capacity of 6 or more passengers in addition to the driver, that is owned or leased by a child care provider or a contractor of a child care provider, and that is used to transport children to and from the child care provider.

(c) “Child safety alarm" means an alarm system that prompts the driver of a child care vehicle to inspect the child care vehicle for children before exiting the child care vehicle.

(2) Child safety alarms required. Before a child care vehicle is placed in service, the child care provider or contractor of a child care provider that is the owner or lessee of the child care vehicle shall have a child safety alarm installed in the child care vehicle. A person who is required under this subsection to have a child safety alarm installed in a child care vehicle shall ensure that the child safety alarm is properly maintained and in good working order each time the child care vehicle is used for transporting children to or from a child care provider.

(3) Violations.

(a) No person may knowingly transport a child, and no child care provider or contractor of a child care provider that is the owner or lessee of a child care vehicle may knowingly permit a child to be transported, to or from a child care provider in a child care vehicle in which a child safety alarm has not been installed, is not properly maintained, or is not in good working order. In addition to the sanctions and penalties specified in s. 48.715, any person who violates this paragraph may be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year in the county jail or both.

(bm) No person may remove, disconnect, tamper with, or otherwise circumvent the operation of a child safety alarm that is installed in a child care vehicle, except for the purpose of testing, repairing, or maintaining the child safety alarm or of replacing or disposing of a malfunctioning child safety alarm. No person may shut off a child safety alarm that is installed in a child care vehicle unless the person first inspects the vehicle to ensure that no child is left unattended in the vehicle. Any person who violates this paragraph is guilty of a Class I felony.

(4) Rules; information about child safety alarms.

(a) The department shall promulgate rules to implement this section. Those rules shall include a rule requiring the department, whenever it inspects a child care provider that is licensed under s. 48.65 (1) or established or contracted for under s. 120.13 (14), and a county department or an agency contracted with under s. 48.651 (2), whenever it inspects a child care provider that is certified under s. 48.651, to inspect the child safety alarm of each child care vehicle that is used to transport children to and from the child care provider to determine whether the child safety alarm is in good working order.

(bm) The department shall make information about child safety alarms available to persons who are required under sub. (2) to have a child safety alarm installed in a child care vehicle. The department may make that information available by posting the information on the department's Internet site.

History: 2009 a. 19, 185; 2015 a. 172.