House Bill No. 5315
               House Bill No. 5315

               PUBLIC ACT NO. 98-17


AN   ACT   PROHIBITING   THE  SALE  TO  MINORS  OF
CONTAINERS OF NITROUS OXIDE.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    (NEW)  (a)  Any  person  who  sells,  gives or
delivers to any minor under eighteen years of  age
any   container   exclusively  containing  nitrous
oxide, unless the minor is delivering or accepting
delivery  in his capacity as an employee, shall be
fined not more than two hundred  dollars  for  the
first  offense,  not more than three hundred fifty
dollars   for   a   second   offense   within   an
eighteen-month  period  and  not  more  than  five
hundred dollars for each subsequent offense within
an eighteen-month period.
    (b)  Any  person  under  eighteen years of age
who purchases or misrepresents his age to purchase
any container exclusively containing nitrous oxide
shall be fined not more than fifty dollars for the
first  offense and not less than fifty dollars nor
more than one hundred dollars for each  subsequent
offense.
    (c)  Each  retailer  of containers exclusively
containing  nitrous  oxide  or  employee  of  such
retailer  shall require a person who is purchasing
or attempting to purchase a container  exclusively
containing   nitrous   oxide,   whose  age  is  in
question, to exhibit proper proof  of  age.  If  a
person  fails  to  provide such proof of age, such
retailer or employee shall not sell any  container
exclusively   containing   nitrous  oxide  to  the
person. As used in this  section,  "proper  proof"
means  a motor vehicle operator's license, a valid
passport or an identity card issued in  accordance
with the provisions of section 1-1h of the general
statutes.

Approved April 24, 1998