Committee hears bill to ban flavored tobacco, raise cigarette and vapor taxes

At a House Finance Committee public hearing, staff and supporters outlined House Bill 2068, a package of licensing, product‑ban and tax changes aimed at reducing youth use of flavored tobacco and electronic vapor products and generating revenue for prevention and public health accounts.

The bill would ban the sale, display and advertising of any flavored tobacco or nicotine product and of entertainment vapor products beginning July 1, 2027, except for flavored shisha sold on premises where people under 21 are prohibited, staff said. It also creates new business licensing fees and raises penalties for violations, and it restructures taxes on cigarettes, tobacco products and vapor products and creates new revenue allocations for prevention, cancer research and foundational public health services.

House Office of Program Research staff member Peter Clodfelter summarized the regulatory provisions, saying the bill would prohibit “any tobacco or nicotine product that imparts a taste or smell other than the taste or smell of tobacco, including the taste or smell of fruit, candy, mint, or menthol, or if it imparts a cooling or numbing sensation.” He also described the bill’s definition of covered “entertainment vapor products” as devices that include interactive gaming or multimedia features.

The licensing changes increase many existing fees: license fees would be raised to $1,000 per year for cigarette, tobacco and vapor product…