New Jersey A 4899: Establishes Literacy Acceleration Home Reading Grant Program.

Bill Text

A4899 

ASSEMBLY, No. 4899 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED MAY 7, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� MAUREEN ROWAN

District 2 (Atlantic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Regulates smoking in casinos and casino simulcasting 
facilities. 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As introduced.

�� 

An Act concerning smoking in casinos and casino simulcasting 
facilities and amending P.L.2005, c.383, the �New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act.�

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� Section 5 of P.L.2005, 
c.383 (C.26:3D-59) is amended to read as follows:

���� 5.��� The provisions of this 
act shall not apply to:

���� a.���� any cigar bar or cigar 
lounge that, in the calendar year ending December 31, 2004, generated 15 
percent or more of its total annual gross income from the on-site sale of 
tobacco products and the rental of on-site humidors, not including any sales 
from vending machines, and is registered with the local board of health in the 
municipality in which the bar or lounge is located.� The registration shall 
remain in effect for one year and shall be renewable only if: (1) in the 
preceding calendar year, the cigar bar or lounge generated 15 percent or more 
of its total annual gross income from the on-site sale of tobacco products and 
the rental of on-site humidors, and (2) the cigar bar or cigar lounge has not 
expanded its size or changed its location since December 31, 2004; 

���� b.��� any tobacco retail 
establishment, or any area the tobacco retail establishment provides for the 
purposes of smoking; 

���� c.���� any tobacco business 
when the testing of a cigar or pipe tobacco by heating, burning or smoking is a 
necessary and integral part of the process of making, manufacturing, importing, 
or distributing cigars or pipe tobacco; 

���� d.��� private homes, private 
residences and private automobiles; 

���� e.���� [the area 
within the perimeter of: 

���� (1)�� any casino as defined in 
section 6 of P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-6) approved by the Casino Control 
Commission that contains at least 150 stand-alone slot machines, 10 table 
games, or some combination thereof approved by the commission, which machines 
and games are available to the public for wagering; and 

���� (2)�� any casino simulcasting 
facility approved by the Casino Control Commission pursuant to section 4 of 
P.L.1992, c.19 (C.5:12-194) that contains a simulcast counter and dedicated 
seating for at least 50 simulcast patrons or a simulcast operation and at least 
10 table games, which simulcast facilities and games are available to the 
public for wagering;]

���� notwithstanding the 
provision of any law or ordinance to the contrary that was adopted on or after 
January 1, 2022, the area within the perimeter of any casino simulcasting 
facility approved by the Casino Control Commission pursuant to section 4 of 
P.L.1992, c.19 (C.5:12-194) and any casino approved by the Casino Control 
Commission pursuant to section 6 of P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-6), provided that:

���� (1) �smoking shall be 
permitted in not more than 25 percent of the area of any casino floor and 
casino simulcasting facility;

���� (2) �smoking shall only be 
permitted in areas of the casino floor and casino simulcasting facility designated 
by signage by the operators for smoking;

���� (3) �smoking shall only be 
permitted under the following circumstances:

���� (a) �in unenclosed interior 
designated smoking areas which contain slot machines or other electronic games, 
but shall not include areas of the casino floor and casino simulcasting 
facility that are fifteen feet or less from any casino pits offering table 
games with live dealers; and

���� (b) �in enclosed interior 
designated smoking areas equipped with a ventilation system that is separately 
exhausted from other interior areas of the casino, casino simulcasting facility, 
and hotel facility, as applicable, so that air from the smoking area is not 
recirculated or backstreamed into interior areas that are not interior 
designated smoking areas;

���� (4) �all enclosed interior 
designated smoking areas shall be separated from other interior areas of the casino, 
casino simulcasting facility, and hotel facility, as applicable, by solid walls 
or windows, a ceiling, and a solid door; and

���� (5) �no stationary employee 
shall be assigned to work in an enclosed interior designated smoking area 
unless the employee voluntarily chooses to work in the designated enclosed 
interior smoking area; 

���� f.���� research laboratories 
and other facilities that have been approved by the Department of Health to 
permit smoking for the purpose of medical research related to the health 
effects of smoking, in an indoor facility that is separately ventilated for the 
purpose of medical or scientific research that is conducted under physician 
supervision and has been approved by an Investigational Review Board (IRB), if 
the facility is u