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Bill

S 4208

Prohibits the sale of dry ice to individuals under eighteen years of age

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Kevin Parker

Creates a first-degree crime for choking/strangling chokeholds by specified law enforcement personnel, punishable up to 20 years or $200,000 fine.

REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION
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Bill Summary · S 4208

S 4208 — Summary

Note on title vs. content: The bill as described in the Introduced Version text concerns the crime of strangulation chokehold by law enforcement personnel. The title in your prompt references prohibiting the sale of dry ice to individuals under eighteen, which appears to be inconsistent with the introduced content. The summary below reflects the introduced chokehold-focused provisions.

Overview

  • Purpose: Establish the crime of strangulation chokehold, applicable to specified law enforcement personnel, by defining chokehold and criminalizing its use in a manner that impedes breathing or blood circulation.
  • Status: Introduced in the Senate on March 3, 2025; referred to a committee (labels show both Consumer Protection and Law and Public Safety in different records). Primary sponsor: Kevin S. Parker.

Key Provisions

  • Creation of a new crime: Strangulation chokehold.
  • Offenders: Applies to municipal, county, or State law enforcement officers; Department of Corrections employees; county correctional police officers; juvenile correctional police officers; State juvenile facility employees; juvenile detention staff; probation officers; sheriffs, undersheriffs, and sheriff’s officers.
  • Elements of the crime:
    • The officer acts while in uniform or exhibiting authority or by status.
    • With intent to impede normal breathing or blood circulation, the officer blocks the nose or mouth or uses any chokehold procedure.
    • The conduct results in serious bodily injury or death.
  • Definition scope: “Chokehold” includes, but is not limited to, any pressure of the throat or windpipe that may prevent or hinder breathing or air intake.
  • Classification: Strangulation chokehold is a first-degree crime.

Penalties

  • First-degree crime, ordinarily punishable by:
    • Up to 20 years imprisonment
    • Fine up to $200,000
    • Or both

Effective Date

  • Immediate effect upon enactment (this act takes effect immediately).

Who Is Affected

  • Explicitly targets law enforcement personnel operating in various capacities at municipal, county, and state levels (including corrections and juvenile facilities) who engage in chokehold behavior as defined by the bill.

Legislative Context and History

  • Related actions:
    • Companion and related bills exist (e.g., A 3272, A 5010, S 4797, S 5871, S 8098, S 4559 in prior sessions).
  • Statement context: The bill is framed against a backdrop of policy guidance issued by the New Jersey Attorney General (June 5, 2020) banning chokeholds unless deadly force is necessary, with the bill codifying and tightening related prohibitions.
  • Sponsors: Kevin S. Parker (primary).

Potential Impact

  • Public safety and police accountability: Converts an internal policy prohibition into a codified criminal offense for designated law enforcement personnel, creating a criminal liability framework for chokehold use.
  • Deterrence: The first-degree classification and substantial penalties may act as a strong deterrent against use of chokeholds by listed personnel.
  • Implementation considerations: Enforcement would require clearly establishing intent to impede breathing or circulation, and proving that the act constitutes a chokehold resulting in serious injury or death.
  • Interplay with existing use-of-force policies: Codifies a specific prohibited tactic beyond general use-of-force guidelines.

Additional Notes

  • The bill’s title about dry ice in your prompt appears not to match the introduced version’s content. Readers should verify the final enacted text to confirm the bill’s scope and subject matter.

If you’d like, I can also prepare a side-by-side comparison with the companion bills and prior-session versions to show how S 4208 aligns with or diverges from related legislation.

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

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