TRENTON, N.J. – A proposal banning smoking in cars with kids inside advanced easily Thursday after its sponsor told colleagues there are few things more dangerous than exposing children to secondhand smoke in confined spaces.

The measure was released by the Senate health committee Thursday afternoon and now heads to the full Senate for a vote.

“I cannot understand those who say, ‘I have the right ... to endanger my children and other people’s children in such a clear and direct way,’” said Sen. Raymond Lesniak, the measure’s sponsor.

The bill dovetails with a movement nationally to limit children’s exposure to secondhand smoke.

Six states including New Jersey have enacted bans on smoking in cars containing foster children, said Regina Carlson, executive director of NJ GASP, or Group Against Smoking Pollution. The others are Maine, Vermont, Texas, Oregon and Washington. Additionally, Louisiana and Arkansas along with Puerto Rico have enacted smoking bans in cars with any child inside, as New Jersey is considering.

The Monmouth County shore town of Keyport became New Jersey’s first municipality to ban smoking inside cars with children in April.

Also that month, the state tightened a loophole in its Smoke-Free Air Act that allowed smoking on Atlantic City’s casino floors. Only a quarter of a casino’s gaming spaces can now be designated for smokers.

New Jersey banned smoking in most public places more than a year ago.

Anti-smoking advocates say protecting minors from secondhand smoke is their next frontier, both because the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke are well documented and children don’t have a choice when someone lights up in a car.

Lesniak, a Union County Democrat, said he got the idea for the bill after watching a driver puffing on a cigarette, car windows rolled up, with two kids inside.

If approved by both houses of the Legislature and signed into law by the governor, the bill would make smoking in a car with a child under 16 inside a disorderly persons offense punishable by a $100 fine. Violators would not receive points against their driver’s licenses or face auto insurance surcharges.

The money collected from the fines will help fund anti-smoking programs administered by the state Health Department.

Responding to criticism that the bill attempts to modify parental behavior through legislation, Lesniak said, “It’s important for us as a society to say this conduct is wrong and should be prohibited.”

“It’s child endangerment,” he said. “We need to set an example with this law.” – (AP)