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Committee adopts amendments and lays over bill to ban retail nitrous oxide sales to consumers
Summary
Senate File 1215, introduced by Senator Duckworth, would ban retail sales of nitrous oxide to consumers while exempting legitimate commercial and medical uses. The committee adopted three author’s amendments that remove the word “flavored” and clarify exemptions and laid the bill over for further consideration.
Senate File 1215, introduced by Senator Duckworth, was heard Feb. 18 by the Minnesota Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee; the committee adopted three author’s amendments and laid the bill over for further consideration.
“Members, the bill before you would ban nitrous oxide from being sold by retailers to consumers,” Senator Duckworth said, explaining the purpose is to curb recreational use of nitrous oxide canisters among young people. Duckworth said the A1 amendment preserves legitimate uses — for example, in dental offices, automotive shops and culinary applications — while limiting consumer access.
The committee adopted three author’s amendments. The chair accepted an A1 amendment and Senator Duckworth then offered A2 and A3, amendments that remove the word “flavored” from the bill text; all three were adopted by voice vote. Committee members discussed the bill’s intent to make it harder for people determined to use nitrous oxide to obtain canisters at corner stores, while leaving medical and commercial uses intact.
Committee members asked staff to provide an engrossed version of the bill showing the final text after the amendments. The bill was laid over for further consideration and refinement with stakeholders.
No formal roll‑call votes were recorded in the transcript; adoption of the three amendments and the motion to lay the bill over were recorded as voice actions in committee.
