Senate Bill 2836

AN ACT TO REQUIRE CERTAIN MINOR HORSEBACK RIDERS TO WEAR APPROVED EQUESTRIAN SAFETY HELMETS WHEN RIDING UPON CERTAIN PUBLIC PROPERTY; TO PROVIDE FOR INCREMENTAL IMPLEMENTATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The following words and phrases when used in this section shall have the meanings assigned to them:

(a) "Approved helmet" means a helmet that meets or exceeds the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1163-15 certified equestrian helmet standards.

(b) "Equine" means a horse, pony, mule, donkey or hinny.

(c) "Equine activity" means any occasion where persons are mounted on equines such as shows, camps, clinics, competitions, and practice sessions that involve any or all breeds of equines and any of the equine disciplines including, but not limited to, dressage, hunter and jumper horse shows, grand prix jumping, three-day events, combined training, rodeos, training sessions, riding, driving, cutting, polo, steeplechasing, English and western performance riding, barrel racing and gymkhana games.

(d) "Equine activity sponsor" means an individual, group, club, partnership or corporation, whether the sponsor is operating for profit or as a nonprofit, which sponsors or organizes an equine activity, including, but not limited to, Pony Club organizations, 4-H clubs, hunt clubs, riding clubs,

school- and college-sponsored classes or programs.

(2) (a) (i) From and after July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, a child who is thirteen (13) years of age or younger must wear an approved helmet of good fit, properly fastened at all times when the child is riding an equine upon publicly owned or controlled property other than a public road or public right-of-way;

(ii) From and after July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, a child who is fourteen (14) years of age or younger must wear an approved helmet of good fit, properly fastened at all times when the child is riding an equine upon publicly owned or controlled property other than a public road or public right-of-way;

(iii) From and after July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, a child who is fifteen (15) years of age or younger must wear an approved helmet of good fit, properly fastened at all times when the child is riding an equine upon publicly owned or controlled property other than a public road or public right-of-way;

(iv) From and after July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, a child who is sixteen (16) years of age or younger must wear an approved helmet of good fit, properly fastened at all times when the child is riding an equine upon publicly owned or controlled property other than a public road or public right-of-way;

(v) From and after July 1, 2024, a child who is seventeen (17) years of age or younger must wear an approved helmet of good fit, properly fastened at all times when the child is riding an equine upon publicly owned or controlled property other than a public road or public right-of-way.

(b) No parent, guardian or person with legal responsibility for the safety and welfare of a child shall knowingly allow a child to violate this subsection (2).

(c) If a child is found to be in violation of this subsection (2), a citation shall be issued to the parent, legal guardian or person with legal responsibility for the safety and welfare of the child rather than to the child and, upon conviction, the person shall be fined Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00).

(3) (a) The following persons must post a sign as required in paragraph (b) of this subsection:

(i) A person regularly engaged in the business of renting equines for riding to children covered under this section; and

(ii) A person who is an equine activity sponsor if children covered under this section participate in riding equines if any of the activity will occur on publicly owned or controlled property other than a public road or public right-of-way.

(b) A sign in substantially the following form must be posted by the persons listed in this subsection (3): "MISSISSIPPI LAW REQUIRES CERTAIN CHILD RIDERS TO WEAR AN APPROVED HELMET WHEN RIDING AN EQUINE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY." The sign must appear in black letters, with each letter to be a minimum of one (1) inch in height.

(c) A person who fails to provide notice as provided in this subsection (3) shall be issued a citation and, upon conviction, fined One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.