State tobacco-related legislative bills that have been acted on by a state legislative committee or state legislature are listed below alphabetically by state:

California: Assembly Bill 2308, which the prohibits sale of filtered cigarettes, failed to pass the Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization on May 2, 2018. Assembly Bill 2914, which had prohibited tobacco retailers from holding cannabis licenses, was amended on May 1st to remove the prohibition and no longer affects tobacco retailers.

Connecticut: House Bill 5293, which prohibits the self-service display of vapor products in any retail establishment except where minors are prohibited from entering, passed the House on May 2, 2018.

Hawaii: Senate Bill 2654, which, effective July 1, 3000, prohibits shipments of tobacco products to anyone other than a licensee, applies the tobacco products tax to e-liquids, creates an electronic cigarette registration unit, increases the tax on all tobacco products by an unspecified amount, provides a defense to retailers who obtain identification that reasonably appears to indicate a purchaser is at least 21, requires tobacco products to be behind the sales counter, in an area inaccessible by the public or in a locked container, and preempts local retail tobacco ordinances, died on April 27 when it failed to clear its conference committee. House Bill 1895, which originally was concerned only with expenditures by the Department of Health, was amended and the bill now also regulates tobacco products and electronic smoking devices by requiring retailers of electronic smoking devices to register with the State Attorney General’s office, extending the age 21 provision for tobacco sales to include electronic smoking devices; prohibiting display of all tobacco products to locked containers or places inaccessible to the public; preempting local jurisdictions from enacting laws regulating the sale of tobacco products; and voiding any local tobacco retailing laws already adopted.

Illinois: The following bills died by failing to meet a procedural deadline on April 27th: House Bill 3877, which provides for the regulation of vapor products retailers; and House Bill 4297, which raises the minimum legal sales age and the age to purchase use or possess tobacco products from 18 to 21.

Massachusetts: Senate Bill 1497, which increases the tax on cigars by 80% of wholesale, the tax on smoking tobacco by 90% of wholesale and the tax on smokeless by 20%, reported from the Joint Committee on Revenue accompanied by study order S2497 and referred to the Joint Committee on Rules on April 30, 2018.

Minnesota: House Bill 4385 and companion legislation Senate Bill 3982 (Omnibus Tax Bill) passed both the full House and Senate this week. The legislation adds vapor products to the definition of tobacco products and clarifies the meaning of “wholesale price” for a vapor product. This legislation now heads to a conference committee for further negotiation.

Rhode Island: Senate Bill 2464, which raises the legal minimum age to purchase tobacco products and nicotine-delivery systems from age 18 to age 21, was recommended to be held for further study by the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 1, 2018. House Bill 7659, which requires that a fifteen percent (15%) minimum markup be added to the total cost of cigarettes sold by retailers, was heard in the House Finance Committee on May 3, 2018.