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House taxation committee hears bill to create state directory of legal vape products
Summary
A House taxation committee hearing on HB 525 centered on a proposal to create a Montana-managed directory of vapor products eligible for sale, with proponents saying it would help curb illicit, often China‑made products and opponents arguing it would hand market control to large tobacco companies and harm small retailers.
Representative Amy Regier, sponsor of House Bill 525, told the House Taxation Committee that HB 525 would establish a Montana directory of vapor products authorized for legal sale and provide penalties for sellers of unlisted products. “In Montana, our vapor market is in a complete disarray,” Representative Amy Regier said, citing unregulated products and brands she said target youth.
Proponents including Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Brent Mead, Bureau Chief for the Montana Department of Justice Office of Consumer Protection, urged the committee to approve the directory as a practical enforcement tool. Knudsen told the committee, “The FDA is not doing their job. They haven't been doing their job for quite some time,” and said the directory would let Montana act where federal enforcement has not. Mead walked the committee through mechanics: manufacturers would certify a product and provide evidence of an FDA marketing order, a timely-filed premarket…
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