Tammy Russell made a promise to her 6-month-old daughter, Kaitlyn, as she held her body in a hospital emergency room last August.

Today, a legislator will try to carry out Russell's promise -- to keep children from being left alone in unattended vehicles.

Kaitlyn Russell died Aug. 15 after being left for hours inside a van that investigators estimated reached 130 degrees. Her baby sitter has been charged with manslaughter and felony child endangerment and is free on $25,000 bail.

Sen. Jackie Speier, D-San Francisco, plans to introduce a bill today that would make it against the law to leave a child 6 years or younger inside an unattended vehicle. The proposed legislation states that a child could not be out of the guardian's line-of-sight for longer than one minute and without supervision.

Speier said a specific law on the topic is needed, because none exists. Child endangerment is typically the closest option available for law enforcement.

"For any of us who are parents of young children, we want to always make sure that we're doing the most to protect their safety," Speier said. "It's (Kaitlyn's law) a common-sense measure."

Speier said the proposal has the backing of several child-safety groups and similar bills have been supported in other states.

The proposed law would also:

· Penalize violators $100 and place a one-point driving offense on their DMV record.

· Use 60 percent of the money collected from fines to be spent on community education programs about the dangers of leaving children in unattended vehicles.

· Require the DMV to include information about the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles in driver's education materials.

· Specify that the new law, if passed, will not preclude prosecution under existing manslaughter or child endangerment statutes.

In the past 15 years, 60 children have died in California from being left alone inside vehicles, according to KIDS N' CARS, a safety advocacy group. Some children died from heat exhaustion, others from extreme cold, and others from putting the car in motion.

Russell said she wants parents to understand that the proposed law is not intended to target them, but rather to help teach them that these dangers exist.

"Most parents are unaware of the dangers and if they are, they don't think it will happen to them," she said. "This is an educational tool. We're not out to get parents. We're out to save children. They aren't a convenience. You have to take them with you."

Riverside sheriff's Sgt. Mark Lohman said authorities handle child-endangerment cases individually, but if the new law passes, it would make people aware of just how long they can be away from a vehicle with a child inside.

"People didn't realize how dangerous it was to pass by school buses when their lights were flashing," he said. "This proposed law will make people aware of the dangers of leaving a child inside an unattended car."

Russell said she just wants people to know that what happened to Kaitlyn can happen to others.

"It's (Kaitlyn's death) devastated my life," Russell said. "It's the last one thing I can do for Kaitlyn."