Committee advances ‘Tyler’s Law’ to restrict retail sales of sodium nitrate

The House Consumer Protection & Business Committee on a bipartisan vote advanced substitute House Bill 1209, renaming the proposal "Tyler's Law" and recommending it pass out of committee. The bill would prohibit retail sale or transfer of products containing more than 10% sodium nitrate except to verified commercial businesses or institutions, require labeling and recordkeeping, and create civil penalties for violations.

Why it matters: Committee members who sponsored the amendment said the bill is intended to prevent easily purchased, highly concentrated sodium nitrate from being sold to the public online — a pathway that has been linked to recent youth suicides. Supporters cited testimony from family members and public-health advocates urging the Legislature to close an online sales gap.

Staff reported that the bill includes criminal and civil enforcement mechanisms and…