[Adopted 6-26-1996, approved 6-26-1996]
For purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BOX CUTTER
Any knife consisting of a razor blade, retractable, nonretractable or detachable in segments, attached to or contained within a plastic or metal housing, including utility knives, snap-off knives and box carton cutters.
PERSON
Any natural person, corporation, partnership, firm, organization or other legal entity.
SCHOOL PREMISES
The buildings, grounds or facilities or any portion thereof owned, occupied by or under the custody or control of public or private institutions for the primary purpose of providing educational instruction to students at or below the 12th grade level and any vehicles owned, operated or leased by such institutions which are used to transport such students or the personnel of such institutions.
It shall be unlawful for any persons to sell or offer to sell or cause any persons to sell or offer to sell a box cutter to any individual under 18 years of age.
No person who sells or offers for sale box cutters shall place such box cutters on open display so that such implements are accessible to the public without the assistance of such seller or his or her employee or other agent offering such implement for sale; provided, however, that the restrictions of this section shall not apply to those box cutters on open display which are clearly and fully visible from a place of payment for goods or services or customer information at which such seller or an employee or other agent of such seller is usually present during hours when the public is invited or which are in a package, box or other container provided by the manufacturer, importer or packager that is larger than 41 square inches.
It shall be unlawful for any person under 22 years of age to possess a box cutter while on school premises; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall preclude the temporary transfer on school premises of such an instrument to a person under 22 years of age for a valid school-related purpose where such device is used only under the supervision of a school staff person; and provided, further, that nothing in this section shall preclude the use of such an instrument on school premises by any person under 22 years of age so long as such person is performing work on such premises during the course of his or her employment and such instrument is used only under the supervision of his or her employer or such employer's agent or a school staff person.
Any person violating any provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500 for each offense or imprisoned for a period not to exceed 15 days.