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A 337

Prohibits smoking tobacco in motor vehicles where minors less than 18 years of age are passengers in such vehicles; traffic infraction

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Amy Paulin

Prohibits smoking tobacco in vehicles with a minor under 18 present; violations become traffic infractions, aimed at protecting kids from secondhand smoke.

REFERRED TO HEALTH
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 337

Summary of Assembly Bill A 337 (2025)

Overview

  • Title: Prohibits smoking tobacco in motor vehicles where minors less than 18 years of age are passengers in such vehicles; traffic infraction
  • Bill number: A 337
  • Primary sponsor: Amy Paulin
  • Status: Referred to Health (as of January 8, 2025)
  • Introduced: January 8, 2025
  • Relationship to other bills: Companion/Senate equivalents include S 6743 (companion) and several prior-session related bills (e.g., S 3155, S 5206, S 5209, S 2657, S 4211, A 5038)

What the bill would do

  • Establishes a prohibition on smoking tobacco inside motor vehicles when a minor under the age of 18 is a passenger.
  • Violation is designated as a traffic infraction.
  • The bill’s text would define key terms (e.g., what constitutes “smoking tobacco”) and specify any exemptions, penalties, and enforcement mechanisms—details that are typically included in the final statutory language.

Key provisions (as introduced)

  • Prohibition: Smoking tobacco in a motor vehicle when a minor (under 18) is present as a passenger.
  • Enforcement: Violation would be treated as a traffic infraction, implying administration of fines or penalties consistent with other traffic infractions.
  • Scope: Applies to motor vehicles within the jurisdiction of the state (the exact geographic scope and any limited exceptions would be defined in the bill’s full text).

Who would be affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: Minors under 18 who are passengers in motor vehicles.
  • Responsible parties: Adult drivers and passengers who smoke tobacco in a vehicle with a minor present.
  • Enforcement agencies: Law enforcement officers would be responsible for issuing infractions under the bill’s provisions.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Referred to the Health Committee (as of January 8, 2025).
  • Next steps typically include: committee hearings, potential amendments, passage by the Assembly, and then consideration by the Senate (or a companion bill’s path) before any potential enactment.
  • There is no enacted effective date listed in the summary; the final bill would specify when any new prohibition and penalties take effect.

Legislative context and related measures

  • The bill has a companion Senate measure (S 6743) and multiple related bills from prior sessions (e.g., S 3155, S 5206, S 5209, S 2657, S 4211, A 5038), indicating ongoing interest in restricting tobacco use around minors across sessions.
  • The focus aligns with public health goals to reduce exposure of minors to secondhand smoke in enclosed spaces.

Potential impact

  • Public health: Potential reduction in minors’ exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke in cars.
  • Behavioral effects: May influence smoking behaviors of drivers when minors are present.
  • Enforcement and costs: Introduction of new infractions could impact enforcement workload and minor fines; exact penalties and administrative costs would be set in the bill’s final language.

Next steps for readers

  • Monitor updates from the Health Committee for hearings, amendments, and potential floor votes.
  • Review the final text for precise definitions (e.g., scope of “smoking tobacco,” any exemptions, and exact penalties).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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