PHOENIX € Under a proposed state bill, children would not only need their parents' permission to get a tattoo or pierce their body, parents would also have to accompany their children to the local tattoo parlor.

Senate Bill 1102 would make it illegal for a tattoo artist to tattoo or body-pierce someone under 18 without a parent or guardian present. The bill would also outlaw all tattooing and body piercing, except for earlobes, of children under 14.

Artists found guilty of these offenses would be charged with a class one misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 or six months in jail.

The bill has passed through the full Senate and passed the House Committee on Judiciary Wednesday. All that remains is a vote by the full House floor and the Governor's signature.

Rep. Kathi Foster, D-Phoenix, sponsored an amendment to the bill. It included a provision to release the tattoo artist from any wrongdoing if a child used false identification.

Dale Orman, owner of the Crawling Squid tattoo parlor in Phoenix, said he supported the bill with the amendment. He said tattooing is so popular with young people that it has resulted in many amateur artists using makeshift equipment with little if any sterilization.

He told the committee he did not know any reputable tattoo artist who would tattoo children and that youth make up a small part of the business. He said many kids are tattooing each other and often end up in his shop with their parents wanting to repair the damage.

Orman said tattoo artists are not yet required to have a license, but may be soon.

Carlos Vasquez, manager of the Enchanted Dragon tattoo shop on North Campbell Avenue, said the four Enchanted Dragon's in Tucson require minors' parents to accompany them to the store, and they will not tattoo or body-pierce anyone under 16. He said the parents and the minor must sign a waiver. If they do not have the same last name, they are required to show adoption or marriage papers.

Some legislators said they were concerned about how the bill would be enforced.

Rep. Elaine Richardson, D-Tucson, said she wondered if police officers would begin stopping children and asking them where they got their tattoo and Rep. Hubbard asked Foster whether children who give other children tattoos could also be charged with a misdemeanor.

Paul Newman, D-Bisbee, said he did not want to criminalize the act without an extensive education program to notify citizens of the law change.

Foster told committee members the bill was designed to give parents whose young children get tattoos without their permission a course of action.