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Senate approves substitute vaping bill after heated floor debate over tax rates and product definitions
Summary
After extended debate, the Utah Senate passed a fourth substitute to Senate Bill 37, changing how vaping and certain nicotine products are taxed and treated; supporters said it advances youth-vaping prevention and funding, while opponents faulted late changes and tax parity assumptions.
Senate lawmakers on the evening calendar passed a reworked version of Senate Bill 37 — the state's electronic cigarette and nicotine-product measure — after a contentious floor debate over tax rates and which nicotine products should be taxed by percentage or by weight.
The fourth substitute, adopted by the Senate after a division and roll call, restores elements from a prior substitute while also preserving some technical edits. The motion to substitute and the final passage were recorded late in the evening; the clerk announced the final adjusted tally as 24 yea, 5 nay. The bill will now go to the House for further consideration.
Sponsor Senator Christiansen framed the bill as an effort to align tax policy and public-health objectives. He said earlier information presented to the body had been…
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