House rejects Senate substitute to HB1946 on under‑21 possession of tobacco and hemp products; conference requested

House Bill 1946, legislation addressing possession of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by persons younger than 21, was considered on the House supplemental calendar on Feb. 12. The sponsor told the chamber her original bill focused on confiscation, and that the Senate substitute broadened enforcement and carried a fiscal impact; she asked the House to reject the Senate substitute and resolve differences in conference.

The motion to reject the Senate substitute was put to a roll-call vote and announced on the floor as Ayes 5, Noes 87; the presiding officer recorded that tally when closing the roll. The person identified on the transcript as “Delegate from Arlington” presented the request to reject the Senate language and urged referral to conference to address the broader enforcement language and fiscal effect.

Later in the session the House received a Senate communication that the Senate had insisted on its amendments and requested a committee of conference on HB1946. The House voted to accede to the Senate’s request for conference committees and the clerk announced the House conferees for HB1946 as Delegates Hope, Seibold, and Austin.

The floor record does not include the full text of the Senate substitute or a detailed fiscal note; the sponsor’s remarks summarized that the Senate substitute expanded enforcement beyond the sponsor’s original confiscation-focused language and that the substitute carried a fiscal impact. The matter will proceed to a conference committee for negotiation between House and Senate conferees.