The following is a summary of recent action that has taken place on tobacco-related bills pending in state legislatures:

Florida: House Bill 7099, redefining the wholesale price for tobacco products and permitting passenger vessels to sell tobacco products, was signed by the Governor.

California: Senate Bill 977, which prohibits use of a tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, within 250 feet of a youth sports event and allows local jurisdictions to adopt stricter measures, passed the Senate Health Committee on April 13, 2016. Senate Bill 1333, which prohibits smoking (including the use of e-cigarettes) in state coastal beaches and state parks, passed the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water on April 12, 2016. Senate Bill 1400, which would exclude from the requirement to obtain a retail tobacco license those locations that do not obtain more than 60% of its revenue from the sale of tobacco products and paraphernalia, passed the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development on April 11. Senate Bill 1470, which, for purposes of the tobacco store exception to the self-service display ban, revises the definition to include only those stores that primarily sell tobacco products and paraphernalia, passed the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development on April 11.

Hawaii: House Bill 1176 passed the Senate Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health and Judiciary and Labor on April 8, 2016 with a strike-everything amendment that converted the bill into one that requires e-liquids to be in child resistant containers and makes e-liquids subject to the Hawaii Poison Prevention Packaging Act and passed Senate on April 12, 2016.

Maryland: House Bill 1115, which increases the fee for a license to sell cigarettes in Montgomery County from $25 to $125, was amended, passed by the Senate and received House concurrence on April 11, 2016. The Maryland General Assembly adjourned on April 11, 2016.

New Hampshire: House Bill 1208, which changes several definitions to the tobacco tax laws, including the definition of a premium cigar by removing the criteria that cigars wholesale for $2.00 or more, passed the Senate on April 7, 2016.

Rhode Island: Senate Bill 2293, which prohibits the use of electronic nicotine-delivery systems in enclosed public places and places of employment, was recommended to be held for further study by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee on April 12, 2016.

Vermont: House Bill 93, which was amended to increase the purchase age to 21, (except for active military), to increase the cigarette/little cigar tax by $.39 per pack and the OTP tax by $.32 per ounce (over a three year period for the age increase and tax increases), was referred to the Senate Rules Committee on April 8, 2016. House Bill 879, which taxes e-cigarettes at the OTP rate of 92% of wholesale, was referred to the Senate Rules Committee on April 5, 2016. House Bill 171, which prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes (tobacco substitute) in the same places where the use of lighted tobacco products is banned and prohibits electronic cigarette displays on store counters, was heard in the Senate Health & Welfare Committee on April 14, 2016.