Parental Consent for Piercing OKd

Body piercers beware: Poking holes through a minor’s tongue or navel without parental consent could soon trigger more than just a mother’s wrath.

Under legislation signed Tuesday by Gov. Pete Wilson, it will be illegal to pierce those under 18 unless a parent is present or provides notarized permission. Only one body part is exempt from the rule--the ear.

“Given the health and safety risks involved with body piercing, parents should be involved in this decision,” Wilson said, noting that many piercing parlors already require permission from a parent. Violators could be fined up to $250 under the bill (AB 99), which becomes law Jan. 1.

Wilson also signed a related bill Tuesday that will create the first sanitary standards for body piercers, tattoo artists and others in California’s booming permanent-cosmetics industry.

That bill (AB 186) will require such establishments to register with the county health department and submit to annual, unannounced health and safety inspections. Backers hope the checks will lead to improved cleanliness and sterilization practices in an industry that has been wholly unregulated--and varies wildly in the quality of service delivered.

“The way it is now, you have guys sterilizing needles in toaster ovens and doing business out of garages or the back of a van,” said John Casey, an aide to the bill’s author, Assemblywoman Valerie Brown (D-Kenwood). “The risk of infection is pretty great.”

Brown has pushed for three years to pass legislation on the topic. Wilson vetoed her first bill in 1994, saying there was no evidence of a public health problem. Her second bill died in the Legislature in 1995.

On Tuesday, Wilson made no mention of his earlier veto. But he said the potential for the transmission of blood-borne diseases such as AIDS through the use of body-piercing and tattoo needles is well established.

“Without minimum safety standards for those who perform body piercing and tattooing, we are putting at risk those individuals who receive the services, but also those who are performing the work,” Wilson said.

Both bills were backed by the Assn. of Professional Piercers, and news of the governor’s action spurred an enthusiastic response at several Southern California piercing salons Tuesday.

“Nobody likes to be regulated, but we’ve got to have some protection for the public,” said Teri Cameron of Gauntlet Inc., a West Hollywood piercing parlor. “Unfortunately, a lot of people consider themselves professional piercers, but their training and practices are really poor.”

Experts say body piercing is a safe procedure if done correctly. Trouble can arise, however, if tools are improperly sterilized, if jewelry is inserted at the wrong angle or if poor-quality metals are used.

As the fad has spread from Madonna and Dennis Rodman to teenagers in suburbia, dentists and plastic surgeons have reported a growing number of piercing horror stories. Potential problems include scarring, embedded studs and speech impediments caused by pierced tongues. Minors can be the most vulnerable because of their still-maturing bodies.

In other action Tuesday, Wilson vetoed a measure that would have required police to obtain a court order before placing an electronic tracking device on a person’s car. The devices--employed by both the Los Angeles Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s departments--send a signal through a transmission tower to a computer at a squad room, enabling officers to secretly monitor a car’s movements from afar.

Numerous police agencies opposed the bill (SB 443) by Sen. Ross Johnson (R-Irvine) on the grounds that it would limit their effectiveness, particularly in cracking drug cases. But civil libertarians said the legislation was necessary to prevent overzealous police officers from infringing on the privacy of motorists.

The bill also would have made it illegal for a civilian to use a tracking device without the permission of the person being monitored.

Other bills that Wilson signed Tuesday will:

* Allow police chiefs and sheriffs to let their reserve officers carry concealed weapons even if they live outside the department’s jurisdiction.

* Prohibit youths under age 16 from operating any boat longer than 30 feet that is powered by a motor of 15 horsepower or greater. Youths ages 12 to 15 will be allowed to operate such vessels when supervised by someone 18 or over.

* Prohibit the operation of motorized water skis in a dangerous manner, including use at night and jumping boat wakes within 100 feet of another vessel.

Times staff writer Dave Lesher contributed to this story.