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LAKEVEILLE, Minn. —Tobacco-related legislative bills that have been acted on by a state legislative committee or state legislature are listed below alphabetically by state:
- Arizona: Two bills died by rule on March 25: House Bill 2125, which would have required a state tobacco retail license administered by the Department of Health Services and allowed local jurisdictions to regulate tobacco products and Senate Bill 1245, which would have required a state tobacco retail license administered by the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control and preempted local jurisdictions from regulating tobacco product sales with some exceptions.
- Colorado: The amended version of House Bill 1064, which prohibits the sale and distribution of all flavored cigarettes, tobacco products and nicotine products (includes flavored synthetic nicotine products), was considered in the House Finance Committee on April 4. The current version of the bill includes exemptions for flavored pipe tobacco, hookah and premium cigars. It also includes a provision that allows the sale of flavored products in age restricted premises (does not include liquor stores).
- Connecticut: Senate Bill 367, which prohibits the sale of flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS); caps nicotine content at 35 milligrams; requires dealers to maintain documentation of nicotine content and increases penalties for sales violations, reported favorably from the Joint Committee on Public Health on March 23.
- Hawaii: Senate Bill 3118 died by rule on March 24; it would have banned the sale of flavored tobacco products.
- Idaho: Senate Bill 1285, which prohibits any locality from enacting ordinances regulating the marketing or sale of tobacco or vapor products and prohibits localities from imposing additional taxes or fees on tobacco products or vapor products, was signed by Gov. Brad Little on March 23. The bill goes into effect on July 1.
- Maine: LD1423 / HP1039, which would have doubled the cigarette and other tobacco product (OTP) tax rates as introduced, was amended to remove the tax language and adopted in the Joint Committee on Taxation March 22.
- Missouri: Senate Bill 1158, which authorizes the state to preempt the field regulating the sale of tobacco products, alternative nicotine products and vapor products, was heard in the Senate Seniors, Families, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee on March 30.
- Rhode Island: Four flavor ban bills (HB7869, HB7870, HB7871 and HB7881) were listed on the agenda of the House Committee on Health and Services for March 29; however, the bills were postponed at the sponsor’s request. House Bill 7805, which prohibits the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies, was heard in the House Committee on Health and Services and recommended for further study on March 29.
- Utah: House Bill 34, which modifies the definition of “cigarette” for taxation and regulation purposes to include both combusted and heated products, was signed by the governor on March 24.
- Virginia: Gov. Glenn Youngkin called a special session for April 4 to finish work on the budget and other pending legislation.
Thomas A. Briant is the executive director of NATO, a tobacco retailing association based in Lakeville, Minn. Reach him at info@natocentral.org.
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