HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3362        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1984

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul R. Heroux

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to protect little lungs.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

1/18/2013

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

 

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

 

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3362        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1984

By Mr.  Heroux of Attleboro, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1984) of Paul R. Heroux and others for legislation to prohibit smoking in motor vehicles occupied by young children.  Public Health.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act to protect little lungs.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 7AA of Chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following subsection at the end thereof:

(1) No person or persons shall be allowed to smoke, as defined in Section 22, Chapter 270 of the General Laws, in a motor vehicle in which a child is required by the provisions of this chapter to be secured by a by a child passenger restraint.

An operator or passenger of a motor vehicle who violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine of $100.

The provisions of this section shall be enforced by law enforcement agencies. A law enforcement officer may not search or inspect a motor vehicle, its contents, the driver, or a passenger solely because of a violation of this section. For a period of 90 days following the effective date of this act, any law enforcement official who stops a motorist solely because of a violation of this section shall not issue a citation, but shall issue a verbal or written warning.   

A violation of this section shall not be used as evidence of contributory negligence in any civil action.

A person who receives a citation for a violation of any of the provisions of this section may contest such citation pursuant to section three of chapter ninety C. A violation of this section shall not be deemed to be a conviction of a moving violation of the motor vehicle laws for the purpose of determining surcharges on motor vehicle premiums pursuant to section one hundred and thirteen B of chapter one hundred and seventy-five.