3.e e-cigarette bills in the legislatureE -Cigarettes Bill Sent to the House Floor Page 1 of 3
E -Cigarettes Bill Sent to the House Floor
Another nicotine regulation bill, which would raise the age for tobacco purchases, is also progressing in the House.
(Published Mar 4, 2019)
The House Commerce Committee (Link to: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/Committees/Home/91001) on Feb. 26
passed two League -supported bills that would strengthen nicotine and tobacco regulations statewide.
E -cigarettes bill
HF 349 (Link to: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/billslbill php?f=HF349&b=house&y=2019&ssn=0) (Rep. Laurie
Halverson (Link to: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/memberslmembers.asp?leg id=15399) , DFL -Eagan) would add
electronic cigarettes (or "e -cigarettes"), used for vaping, to the definition of smoking for the purposes of the Minnesota
Clean Indoor Air Act. It would also include products derived from nicotine, tobacco, marijuana, other plants, and
synthetics intended for inhalation. The bill can now be taken up on the House floor.
The Senate companion bill, SF 462 (Link to: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/billslhill.php?
f=SF462&y=2019&ssn=0&b=senate) (Sen. Carla Nelson (Link to: https://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?
leg id=10778) , R -Rochester), was also heard on Feb. 26. The Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy
Committee (Link to: https://www.senate.mn/committeeslcommittee_bio.php?cmte_id=3095&1s=91) passed the bill and it
now awaits action by the Senate Commerce Committee (Link to: https://www.senate.mn/committees/) .
Bill raising tobacco purchase age
HF 331 (Link to: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/billslbillphp?f=HF331&b=house&y=2019&ssn=0) (Rep. Heather
Edelson (Link to: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/profile/15516) , DFL -Edina) would raise the tobacco
purchase age from 18 to 21 statewide. The bill, as amended, was passed by the Commerce Committee on Feb. 26 and
sent to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Division (Link to:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/commlcommittee.asp?comm=91028) .
Amendment requires reporting
The amendment that was adopted (Link to: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/docs/116jb4d]-9485-4b6e-aa47-
b4768e54f1 b9.pdf?inline=true) included more specific information that would need to be reported by a licensing
authority should a retailer fail to comply with the new law, as determined by a compliance check.
The report to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) would include:
The name of the licensing authority.
The date of the compliance check at which the violations were found.
The name and physical address of the licensee.
The number of violations of section 609.685 (Link to: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes1cite1609.685) or section
609.6855 (Link to: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes1cite1609.6855) by this licensee in the past 36 months.
The licensing authority may also report to the commissioner of Human Services a list of the products purchased during
the compliance check and the penalty assessed on the licensee by the licensing authority. DHS would then compile all
reports received from licensing authorities, make them publicly available for the most recent five-year period, and update
the publicly available information at least every six months to include information from new reports received.
City feedback needed
https://www.Imc.org/page/l/TobaccoBillsUpdate.jsp?ssl=true&utm source=March+4%2C+2019+Bull... 3/5/2019