Committee advances bill to require attorney general‑managed directory and penalties for noncompliant nicotine vaping products

The House Judiciary Committee advanced House Bill 14 25 on Tuesday, a bill that would establish an electronic nicotine delivery system directory managed by the Office of the Attorney General and create civil and criminal penalties for noncompliant vaping products.

Representative James, a co‑prime sponsor, told the committee the measure responds to a growing market of illicit, Chinese‑manufactured nicotine vapor products. He said the directory would be “similar in nature to the tobacco products directory” used in other states and would require manufacturers to submit an annual certification of compliance.

Under the bill summary presented in committee, “every sale of an electronic cigarette containing nicotine must be backed by a marketing granted order issued by the Federal Drug Administration, FDA,” and retailers, wholesalers, distributors, or importers selling nonlisted products would face fines of $500 per product, escalating to $1,500 per day for repeated violations. Manufacturers’ fines would begin at $1,000 per product and may include a third‑degree misdemeanor charge. Nonlisted products are designated contraband and subject to seizure and destruction, and retailers and wholesalers would be subject to unannounced inspections; manufacturers must notify the attorney general’s office within 30 days of any material product change, counsel said.

Counsel informed the committee that the bill would take effect in 60 days, the AG must publish the directory within 120 days of the effective date, and retailers would have an additional 120 days to clear noncompliant inventory. The bill includes provisions that would allow denial of certifications for reasons such as convictions for underage sales, and it authorizes financial penalties and potential misdemeanor charges for manufacturers in certain cases.

Supporters emphasized protection of children and consumer transparency. Representative Ledbetter urged unanimous support and framed the bill as promoting consumer consistency and closing loopholes exploited by foreign actors. The committee initially recorded the bill as passing with a roll‑call; the secretary later corrected the record to state House Bill 14 25 passed by a vote of 25–1 and that the bill will be reported as committed.

Committee counsel said there were no amendments to the bill. The measure assigns implementation responsibilities to the attorney general’s office for maintenance of the directory and enforcement mechanisms described in the bill text.