SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 547

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: DECEMBER 11, 1997

      The Senate Health Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 547.

      This bill authorizes the Public Health Council to regulate sanitary conditions in tattoo parlors, the conduct of body piercing and the conduct of cosmetic tattooing.

      The incidence of reported acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases has reached alarming proportions, with New Jersey ranking fifth in the nation in the number of reported cases. It is the purpose of this bill to strengthen efforts to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, including HIV (the virus that is the causative agent of AIDS) and hepatitis, which may be transmitted during the tattooing or piercing procedure.

      This bill is identical to Senate Bill No. 1654 SCA (Sinagra/Ewing), which the committee also reported favorably on this date.