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Finance panel advances bill raising tobacco and e-cigarette age to 21, keeps modest e-cigarette tax
Summary
The Alaska Senate Finance Committee on May 7 adopted a technical enforcement amendment and reported Senate Bill 24 out of committee as amended; the bill raises the minimum age to 21 for tobacco, nicotine and e-cigarette products and includes a modest tax on e-cigarette products.
Senator Gary Stevens, sponsor of Senate Bill 24, told the Senate Finance Committee on May 7 that the bill is intended "to protect our children from becoming addicted" by raising the legal age to buy, sell, use and possess cigarettes, nicotine products and e-cigarettes to 21 and by imposing a modest tax on e-cigarette products. Stevens said taxing those products has "clearly demonstrated" reductions in consumption.
Tim Lamkin, staff to Senator Stevens, told the committee the bill is similar to prior legislation considered in the Senate and noted a change coming from the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee exempting online sales of cigars and pipe tobacco. The committee record shows the bill was first heard April 1, with an amendment deadline of April 11; a small technical change submitted after the deadline was placed before the committee on May 7.
Senator Kaufman moved an amendment to remove the tax component; Senator Stevens objected and argued that past increases in tobacco taxes reduced consumption, and the mover ultimately withdrew the amendment. Senator Keel moved Amendment 2, described in committee as a technical fix to the bills enforcement language: it would place 18-year-olds in the same penalty/ticketing category as 19- and 20-year-olds so that an 18-year-old could receive a payable ticket rather than a mandatory court appearance. Senator Kiel and the sponsor supported the technical fix; after discussion, the committee adopted Amendment 2.
After amendments were resolved, Senator Kahl moved that the committee report Senate Bill 24 from committee as amended, with accompanying fiscal notes and individual recommendations, and grant Legislative Legal Services authority to make technical and conforming changes. There was no objection and the committee reported the bill out with those recommendations; the next committee of referral was identified as the Rules Committee. The Legislative Affairs Agency fiscal note was referenced during committee review.
Key elements discussed in committee: the bill raises the minimum age to 21 for tobacco, nicotine and e-cigarette products; it imposes a modest tax on e-cigarette products (the sponsor said the tax reduces use); online sales of cigars and pipe tobacco were exempted in the committee substitute; and Amendment 2 was adopted to clarify ticketing and bail-schedule treatment for 18- to 20-year-olds.
