Trenton, NJ – As a bill requiring helmet use while skiing and snowboarding is currently pending in the California legislature, a similar bill passed the New Jersey Senate this week and is heading for a vote in the Assembly.nSenate bill 130, co-sponsored by State Senators Anthony Bucco and Joe Pennacchio, would require skiers under the age of 18 to wear helmets on the slopes. It passed a vote in the New Jersey Senate on Monday by an overwhelming 33-2 vote.

“Skiing is an inherently dangerous sport,” Bucco states. “It is necessary to mandate the use of helmets on the slopes by young people because of their relative lack of experience and the high speeds involved.”

The bill would require any skier under the age of 18 years to wear a securely fitted protective helmet specifically designed by the manufacturer to be used while engaged in the activity of downhill skiing.

“Tragedies on the slopes are not uncommon and can affect anyone,” Pennacchio continued. “Olympic athletes, famous actresses and members of one of America’s most famous political families have all been gravely injured in the past few years. Wearing a helmet on the slopes is just plain common sense.”

The bill would fine parents, guardians and even supervising adults $25 for the first offense and up to $100 for future offenses. Dropped from the bill was a requirement for ski areas to issue a specially colored tag with lift tickets for minors, and for a ski area operator to establish written procedures for the provision of medical care to an injured skier which are to be followed by the employees or volunteers working at the ski area. In fact, the bill specifically states, “Nothing in this act shall be construed to extend liability to the ski area operator.”