The Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill that would license retailers selling tobacco and vape products, give the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) inspection and enforcement powers, and impose fines on retailers selling nicotine products to minors, with half of the fines going to youth prevention programs.
Key points:
1. The Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill to regulate the licensing of retailers selling tobacco and vape products.
2. Legislation aimed at combating the sale of tobacco products to minors and funding youth prevention programs.
3. The bill has broad bipartisan support, but it still needs to be passed by the Senate.
Kentucky House passes tobacco retail licensing bill
According to a report by the Kentuckylantern on March 12, the Kentucky House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 100 by a vote of 82 to 11, which was approved in the Senate at the end of February.
The House made some changes to the bill, and the Senate had to revote it, but the bill’s permit requirement, sponsored by Senator Jimmy Higdon of Lebanon, remained.
Under the bill. Kentucky would license all retailers that sell tobacco and vape products, giving the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) inspection and enforcement authority over these retailers, similar to how it regulates liquor retailers. The bill also provides for fines for retailers who sell nicotine products to minors, with half of the fines going to support youth prevention programs and the other half going to law enforcement expenses.
According to The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, about 5 percent of high school students in Kentucky currently smoke cigarettes, and nearly 20 percent use vapes.
On Wednesday morning, the House Committee on Licensing. Occupations and Administrative Regulations passed the bill and sent it to the full House for a vote.
- “We have a lot of great retailers,” Higdon said. “Probably 99.8 percent of all retailers in Kentucky are well-run, compliant, and would never sell to minors. This bill gives ABC enforcement power to root out bad businesses.”
In the end, SB 100 passed the House with bipartisan support.
