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Senate advances comprehensive e-cigarette bill creating new tax and enforcement funding
Summary
Second substitute SB37 would treat e-cigarettes like tobacco for regulation, ban sales to minors and mail purchases, and impose a 56% tax on manufacturers' price with proceeds dedicated to public-health programs and enforcement; the Senate advanced the bill after floor discussion about penalties and funding uses.
The Utah Senate advanced second substitute Senate Bill 37, a comprehensive measure that would bring e-cigarettes under many of the same regulatory rules as tobacco products, add a new excise tax, and fund enforcement and public-health activities.
Sen. Christiansen told the chamber SB37 equates e-cigarettes with tobacco, applies permitting and retail regulation in stores, imposes penalties for sales to minors, and bans mail-order purchases. The bill also applies a 56% tax on the manufacturers' price for electronic nicotine products and directs proceeds into a restricted account for distribution to the state health department, local health departments and to fund enforcement capacity including 10 new enforcement officers and one administrator.
Sen. Escamilla said he supported higher penalties aligned with liquor enforcement but acknowledged the bill represented a negotiated compromise. Opponents and supporters debated enforcement levels and the share of funds for health programming.
The Senate recorded a roll-call vote that advanced the second substitute 21 'yay', 5 'nay', 3 absent. The bill will return for third reading.
