The Alabama House of Representatives Thursday gave final passage to a bill that will require all occupants of a vehicle to wear a seat belt.

The bill was named after Roderic Deshaun Scott, the Robert E. Lee High School basketball star from Montgomery who died after a car crash in 2016. It now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature.

Burkette passed the bill in the Senate, while Sells carried the House companion bill. Rep. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, joined Sells on the house floor in urging final passage.

“National data show us that seat belt use and compliance with seat belt laws may be the most effective safety measure we can take,” Rep. Chris Sells, R-Greenville,  said. “Now Alabama’s seat belt law will truly reflect the importance of seat belts in highway safety.”

“The Alabama Legislature is to be commended for amending Alabama’s seat belt law to include rear seat passengers,” said Tony Harris, government relations manager at the Alabama Department of Transportation. “Sixty percent of the people dying on Alabama’s roadways are not wearing a seat belt, especially those riding in rear seats. Many crashes are survivable with the use of a seat belt.”

Alabama becomes the 29th state to require seat belt use by rear seat vehicle occupants.

Alabama law since 2000 has required use of seat belts by front seat vehicle occupants. The law had not addressed seat belt use in rear seats by occupants over the age of 15. 

Rear seat passengers in a vehicle are three times more likely to die in a crash if they are not wearing a seat belt, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.