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House Commerce & Economic Development reviews overhaul of tobacco regulation bill S.198
Summary
The committee considered a strike-all amendment to S.198 that would decouple tobacco and liquor licensing, raise some fees, bar most internet shipments into Vermont except to licensed wholesalers, and expand administrative enforcement tools including civil penalties for deceptive products. Committee members asked for Human Services review of possession/confiscation issues.
The Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development on April 15 reviewed S.198, a strike‑all bill proposing widespread changes to the regulation of tobacco products and tobacco substitutes, including vapes.
Legislative counsel Jen Carvey walked the panel through the draft, noting the bill keeps existing statutory definitions in place while updating licensing mechanics and fee flows. "We're proposing to just keep the definition as it is in statute and take this provision out of the bill," Carvey said, describing edits that shift tobacco license administration to current Division practices and align expiration dates with a one‑year term from date of issue.
The draft separates liquor and tobacco licensing and would make the tobacco license and tobacco‑substitute endorsements distinct. It would also change where fees are paid: applicants would still apply to municipalities but pay fees directly to the Division of Liquor Control. The bill sets the retail tobacco license fee at up to $150 and the tobacco substitute endorsement fee at $75; wholesale dealer licenses would become annual with a proposed…
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