The following bills had action recently by state legislatures:

Alaska: Senate Bill 15, which prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, passed the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 6, 2017.

Hawaii: Senate Bill 404, imposes an excise tax of 70% of the wholesale price on e-cigarettes and related items, requires retailers that only sell e-cigarettes to obtain a retail tobacco permit, and increases the annual retail tobacco permit fee from $20 to $50 per location, passed the Senate on March 7, 2017. The following bills died by rule on March 9, 2017: House Bill 246, which imposes a new excise tax of an unspecified percentage of the wholesale price on e-cigarettes and related products; House Bill 247 and Senate Bill 291 which increase the excise tax on large cigars from 50% to 70% of the wholesale price; House Bill 769, House Bill 1332 and Senate Bill 87, which change the excise tax on large cigars (currently 50% of the wholesale price) to the lesser of 50% of the wholesale price or 50 cents; and Senate Bill 1055, which prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes that contain nicotine.

Idaho: Senate Bill 1106, which increases the legal age to purchase tobacco products and vapor products from 18 to 21 years of age, failed on March 3, 2017 in the Senate State Affairs Committee.

Iowa: Senate Bill 5, which increases the minimum legal sales age and the minimum age to purchase, use or possess tobacco products to 21, has died.

Kansas: Senate Bill 175, which increases the tax on cigarettes by $1.00 per pack, and doubles the tax on OTP from 10% to 20% of the wholesale price, died in the Senate on March 7, 2017.

Maine: HB 673 (LD945), which increases the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack, is scheduled for a hearing in the Joint Taxation Committee on March 27, 2017.

Maryland: Senate Bill 669, which prohibits the sale of tobacco products to an individual under the age of 21, reported unfavorably from the Senate Finance Committee on March 17, 2017.

Nebraska: Legislative Bill 438, which increases the state cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack and also increases the tax on OTP from 20% to 65% of the purchase price, had a hearing on March 17, 2017.

New Mexico: Senate Bill 231, which increases the state cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack, increases the tax on other tobacco products an additional 51% of the purchase price, and also includes “electronic cigarettes” in the definition of “tobacco products” did not pass the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.

New York: Assembly Bill 3009 (budget bill), which was amended to impose a vapor tax of $.40 per fluid milliliter, was recommitted to the Assembly Ways & Means Committee on March 13, 2017.

Ohio: Correction: House Bill 49 increases the cigarette tax by $.65 per pack, raises the OTP tax to 69%, caps the tax on large cigars at $2.00 per cigar, and imposes a vapor tax of 69% of the wholesale price.

Oregon: House Bill 2062 imposes a new tax at 95% of the wholesale price on e-liquid that is sold separately from an inhalant delivery system or sold in a disposable cartridge. The House Revenue Committee has held a hearing on the following bills: HB2062 which would impose an excise tax on vapor products at the rate of 70% of the wholesale price of an inhalant delivery system that is sold containing e-liquid; House Bill 2119 which increases the state cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack; House Bill 2662 which increases the state cigarette by $1.60 per pack and would tax cigars at the rate of 65% of the wholesale price; House Bill 2037 which increases the tax on cigarettes by $1.50 cents per pack (from $1.32 to 2.82 per pack), and increases the tax on OTP by 16.25%; House Bill 2056 which increases the tax on cigarettes by $.50 per pack, increases the tax on tobacco products from 65% to 90% of the wholesale price, and imposes a new tax on vapor products at the rate of $.05 per milligram per milliliter of nicotine. House Bill 3178, which imposes a tax on vapor products at the rate of 95% of the wholesale price, will be considered in a public hearing in the House Revenue Committee on March 21, 2017. Senate Bill 754, which increases the legal age to purchase tobacco and vapor products from 18 to 21 years of age, passed the Senate Health Care Committee on March 15, 2017.

Rhode Island: House Bill 5175 (Governor’s budget), which includes a cigarette tax increase of $.50 per pack, is scheduled for a hearing in the House Finance Committee on March 22, 2017.

Texas: Senate Bill 183, which increases the legal age to purchase cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes, from 18 to 21 years of age, was withdrawn from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee, on March 6, 2017. The bill was also referred to the House Health Committee on March 13, 2017.

Utah: House Bill 406, which increases the age for purchase, use and possession from 19 to 20 in 2018 and to 21 in 2019, failed in House Committee on Business and Labor on March 6, 2017. The following bills have died: House Bill 325, which increases the penalties on retailers selling tobacco to underage persons; and House Bill 439, which imposes a tax of 86% of the wholesale price on e-cigarettes and their components and nontherapeutic nicotine devices; and House Bill 370, which requires retail tobacco specialty businesses to obtain state and local permits to operate.