A legislative panel has approved plans to bar anyone under 18 from using tanning beds in New Jersey.
The Assembly's Women and Children Committee passed the measure Monday by a 5-0 vote, though two members abstained. It now heads to the full Assembly for consideration, but it's not known when a vote will be held.
The bill expands a 2006 state law that banned tanning bed use by anyone under 14, and requires written parental consent for those ages 14 to 17.
The issue has seen renewed interest after a Nutley woman was accused this month of taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth. That allegedly resulted in burns to the child's skin.
Patricia Krentcil, 44, has pleaded not guilty to child endangerment.
According to TMZ, the “Tan Mom” has been banned from at least eight tanning salons near her home in New Jersey.
Krentcil's alleged actions have not only caused public outrage, they've inspired a new toy -- the Tanorexic doll by HeroBuilders.com.
