The House voted for a bill Monday that would make it a crime to leave a child unattended in a vehicle.

The bill, which now goes to the Senate, makes it unlawful to leave a child younger than 9 alone in a car if a reasonable person would believe the child is at risk. Leaving the engine running or keys in the car with a child would also be against the law.

The bill would make an exception if the driver has a line of sight to the car. That means if someone runs into the dry cleaner but can still see his or her car in the parking lot, the bill wouldn’t apply, said Rep. Alice Graham Underhill, a New Bern Democrat and sponsor of the bill.

"This is if you go to the grocery store and stay there for an hour," Underhill told House members Monday.

More after the jump.

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