S669

An Act concerning smoking at public parks and beaches and amending the title and body of, and supplementing, P.L.2005, c.383.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Title of P.L.2005, c.383 is amended to read as follows

Title. An Act concerning smoking in [indoor] certain public places and workplaces and revising parts of statutory law.

(cf: P.L.2005, c.383, Title)

2. Section 2 of P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-56) is amended to read as follows:

2. The Legislature finds and declares that: tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the State and the nation, and tobacco smoke constitutes a substantial health hazard to the nonsmoking majority of the public; the separation of smoking and nonsmoking areas in indoor public places and workplaces does not eliminate the hazard to nonsmokers if these areas share a common ventilation system; the prohibition of smoking at public parks and beaches would better preserve the natural assets of this State by reducing litter and increasing fire safety in those areas, while lessening exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke among the public; and, therefore, subject to certain specified exceptions, it is clearly in the public interest to prohibit smoking in all enclosed indoor places of public access and workplaces and at all public parks and beaches.

(cf: P.L.2005, c.383, s.2)

3. Section 3 of P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-57) is amended to read as follows:

3. As used in this act:

"Bar" means a business establishment or any portion of a nonprofit entity, which is devoted to the selling and serving of alcoholic beverages for consumption by the public, guests, patrons or members on the premises and in which the serving of food, if served at all, is only incidental to the sale or consumption of such beverages.

"Cigar bar" means any bar, or area within a bar, designated specifically for the smoking of tobacco products, purchased on the premises or elsewhere; except that a cigar bar that is in an area within a bar shall be an area enclosed by solid walls or windows, a ceiling and a solid door and equipped with a ventilation system which is separately exhausted from the nonsmoking areas of the bar so that air from the smoking area is not recirculated to the nonsmoking areas and smoke is not backstreamed into the nonsmoking areas.

"Cigar lounge" means any establishment, or area within an establishment, designated specifically for the smoking of tobacco products, purchased on the premises or elsewhere; except that a cigar lounge that is in an area within an establishment shall be an area enclosed by solid walls or windows, a ceiling and a solid door and equipped with a ventilation system which is separately exhausted from the nonsmoking areas of the establishment so that air from the smoking area is not recirculated to the nonsmoking areas and smoke is not backstreamed into the nonsmoking areas.

"Indoor public place" means a structurally enclosed place of business, commerce or other service-related activity, whether publicly or privately owned or operated on a for-profit or nonprofit basis, which is generally accessible to the public, including, but not limited to: a commercial or other office building; office or building owned, leased or rented by the State or by a county or municipal government; public and nonpublic elementary or secondary school building; board of education building; theater or concert hall; public library; museum or art gallery; bar; restaurant or other establishment where the principal business is the sale of food for consumption on the premises, including the bar area of the establishment; garage or parking facility; any public conveyance operated on land or water, or in the air, and passenger waiting rooms and platform areas in any stations or terminals thereof; health care facility licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.); patient waiting room of the office of a health care provider licensed pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes; child care center licensed pursuant to P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.); race track facility; facility used for the holding of sporting events; ambulatory recreational facility; shopping mall or retail store; hotel, motel or other lodging establishment; apartment building lobby or other public area in an otherwise private building; or a passenger elevator in a building other than a single-family dwelling.

"Person having control of an indoor public place or workplace or a public park or beach" means the owner or operator of a commercial or other office building or other indoor public place from whom a workplace or space within the building or indoor public place is leased, or the person having supervisory authority over a public park or beach or that person’s designee, as applicable.

“Public park or beach” means a State park or forest, a county or municipal park, or a State or municipal beach, but does not include any parking lot that is adjacent to but outside the public park or beach.

"Smoking" means the burning of, inhaling from, exhaling the smoke from, or the possession of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or any other matter or substance which contains tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked.

“State park or forest” means any State owned or leased land, water or facility administered by the Department of Environmental Protection, including, but not limited to, a park, forest, recreational area, marina, historic site, burial site or natural area, but not including a wildlife management area or reservoir land.

"Tobacco retail establishment" means an establishment in which at least 51% of retail business is the sale of tobacco products and accessories, and in which the sale of other products is merely incidental.

"Workplace" means a structurally enclosed location or portion thereof at which a person performs any type of service or labor.

(cf: P.L.2005, c.383, s.3)

4. Section 4 of P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-58) is amended to read as follows:

4. a. Smoking is prohibited in an indoor public place or workplace or at a public park or beach, except as otherwise provided in this act.

b. Smoking is prohibited in any area of any building of, or on the grounds of, any public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school, regardless of whether the area is an indoor public place or is outdoors.

(cf: P.L.2005, c.383, s.4)

5. Section 7 of P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-61) is amended to read as follows:

7. a. The person having control of an indoor public place or workplace or a public park or beach shall place in every public entrance to the indoor public place or workplace or the public park or beach a sign, which shall be located so as to be clearly visible to the public and shall contain letters or a symbol which contrast in color with the sign, indicating that smoking is prohibited therein, except in such designated areas as provided pursuant to this act. The sign shall also indicate that violators are subject to a fine. The person having control of the indoor public place or workplace or the public park or beach shall post a sign stating "Smoking Permitted" in letters at least one inch in height or marked by the international symbol for "Smoking Permitted" in those areas where smoking is permitted.

b. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to prevent a lessee of the workplace, or space within the building or indoor public place, from enforcing the smoking restrictions imposed by the owner or operator of a commercial or other office building or other indoor public place.

(cf: P.L.2005, c.383, s.7)

6. (New section) The Department of Environmental Protection is directed to provide information and assistance to counties and municipalities, as determined appropriate by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and within the limits of resources available to the department for this purpose, to support smoke-free public parks and beaches.

7. Section 8 of P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-62) is amended to read as follows:

8. a. The person having control of an indoor public place or workplace or a public park or beach shall order any person smoking in violation of this act to comply with the provisions of this act. A person, after being so ordered, who smokes in violation of this act is subject to a fine of not less than $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. A penalty shall be recovered in accordance with the provisions of subsections c. and d. of this section.

b. The Department of Health and Senior Services or the local board of health or the board, body or officers exercising the functions of the local board of health according to law, upon written complaint or having reason to suspect that an indoor public place or workplace or a public park or beach covered by the provisions of this act is or may be in violation of the provisions of this act, shall, by written notification, advise the person having control of the place accordingly and order appropriate action to be taken. A person receiving that notice who fails or refuses to comply with the order is subject to a fine of not less than $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. In addition to the penalty provided herein, the court may order immediate compliance with the provisions of this act.

c. A penalty recovered under the provisions of this act shall be recovered by and in the name of the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services or by and in the name of the local board of health. When the plaintiff is the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, the penalty recovered shall be paid by the commissioner into the treasury of the State. When the plaintiff is a local board of health, the penalty recovered shall be paid by the local board into the treasury of the municipality where the violation occurred.

d. A municipal court shall have jurisdiction over proceedings to enforce and collect any penalty imposed because of a violation of this act if the violation has occurred within the territorial jurisdiction of the court. The proceedings shall be summary and in accordance with the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). Process shall be in the nature of a summons or warrant and shall issue only at the suit of the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, or the local board of health, as the case may be, as plaintiff.

e. The penalties provided in subsections a. and b. of this section shall be the only civil remedy for a violation of this act, and there shall be no private right of action against a party for failure to comply with the provisions of this act.

(cf: P.L.2005, c.383, s.8)

8. Section 9 of P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-63) is amended to read as follows:

9. The provisions of this act shall supersede any other statute, municipal ordinance and rule or regulation adopted pursuant to law concerning smoking in an indoor public place or workplace or at a public park or beach, except where smoking is prohibited by municipal ordinance under authority of R.S.40:48-1 or 40:48-2, or by any other statute or regulation adopted pursuant to law for purposes of protecting life and property from fire or protecting public health, and except for those provisions of a municipal ordinance which provide restrictions on or prohibitions against smoking equivalent to, or greater than, those provided under this act.

(cf: P.L.2005, c.383, s.9)

9. Section 10 of P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-64) is amended to read as follows:

10. The [Commissioner] Commissioners of Health and Senior Services and Environmental Protection, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) and in consultation with each other, shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.

(cf: P.L.2005, c.383, s.10)

10. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after enactment, but the Commissioners of Health and Senior Services and Environmental Protection may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill extends the provisions of the “New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act,” P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-55 et seq.), which generally prohibit smoking in indoor public places and workplaces, to apply to public parks and beaches throughout the State.

The bill provides specifically as follows:

· The smoking prohibition provided for under this bill would apply to any State park or forest, county or municipal park, or State or municipal beach, but would not include any parking lot that is adjacent to but outside the public park or beach.

· The bill defines “State park or forest” to mean any State owned or leased land, water or facility administered by the Department of Environmental Protection, including, but not limited to, a park, forest, recreational area, marina, historic site, burial site or natural area, but not including a wildlife management area or reservoir land.

· The Department of Environmental Protection is directed to provide information and assistance to counties and municipalities, as determined appropriate by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and within the limits of resources available to the department for this purpose, to support smoke-free public parks and beaches.

· The penalties that currently apply to a person who smokes in an indoor public place or workplace, or a person having control of the place who fails to comply with an order to enforce the smoking prohibition, in violation of the “New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act,” would apply to a comparable violation of this bill. These include a fine of not less than $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. (As currently provided under the “New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act,” a penalty recovered through enforcement would be paid to the State Treasury if the plaintiff is the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, and to the treasury of the municipality in which the violation occurred if the plaintiff is the local board of health.)

· The Commissioners of Health and Senior Services and Environmental Protection, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) and in consultation with each other, are directed to adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this bill.

· The bill takes effect on the 180th day after enactment, but authorizes the Commissioners of Health and Senior Services and Environmental Protection to take anticipatory administrative action in advance as necessary for its implementation.