HB 2164

Abstract

Tobacco retail licensing; penalties. Thebill prohibits any person from selling any tobacco product at retailwithout first obtaining a license from the Alcoholic Beverage ControlAuthority (the Authority). The bill prohibits the sale of tobaccoproducts and hemp products intended for smoking from vending machines.The bill imposes civil penalties on licensees for selling tobaccoproducts without a license and for selling tobacco products to personsunder age 21. Licenses would be subject to annual renewal and subject to revocation for violations of federal, state, or local laws relatedto tobacco products. The bill creates the Tobacco Retail AdministrationSubfund for the purpose of funding the Authority's costs of administeringlicenses and enforcing laws related to tobacco retail licensing. The bill updates, for the purpose of the crimeof selling or distributing tobacco products to a person younger than21 years of age, the definition of "tobacco products" by includingin such definition products currently defined as nicotine vapor productsor alternative nicotine products. The bill also removes provisionsprohibiting the attempt to purchase, purchase, or possess tobaccoproducts and hemp products intended for smoking by persons youngerthan 21 years of age. The bill also removes the exception allowingthe sale of tobacco products to active-duty military personnel whoare 18 years of age or older.