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Alaska House Finance hears divided public testimony on SB 24 to raise tobacco age, tax vapes
Summary
The House Finance Committee heard public testimony for and against SB 24, which would raise the legal tobacco/nicotine sales age to 21 and impose a new tax on vape products; public‑health witnesses supported the bill while some retailers and harm‑reduction advocates warned of unintended consequences. An amendment deadline was set for May 14.
Co‑Chair Foster opened public testimony on Senate Bill 24, which would raise Alaska's minimum legal sales age for tobacco and nicotine products to 21 and add a retail tax on electronic smoking products.
Tim Lampkin, staff to Senator Stevens, summarized the bill for the committee, saying its core purpose is to align state law with the federal T21 policy and reduce youth initiation and access to vaping products.
Several public‑health witnesses told the committee raising the age and taxing e‑cigarettes would reduce youth use. Valeria Delgado, who works in tobacco prevention, said she sees teenagers who began vaping without understanding nicotine content and who later became addicted. Lawrence Simpson Gomez, government relations director for the American Heart Association in Alaska and Hawaii, said raising the age and taxes are "evidence‑based policies" that reduce youth tobacco use and encourage cessation.
Representatives of the American Lung Association and school administrators described vaping's impact in classrooms. Becky DeBorough, an elementary principal in Fairbanks, said middle‑school suspensions for vaping have become routine and urged passage to improve students' learning environments.
Opponents and skeptical witnesses argued the bill could have unintended consequences. Mark Sundquist, a convenience store owner who sells fuel and tobacco products, supported raising the age to 21 but urged replacing the proposed 25% retail price tax on vapor products with a wholesale, per‑milliliter tax. Sundquist said retail taxing risks underreporting, disadvantages compliant small retailers, and could strengthen an already sizable illicit disposable‑vape market.
Other callers opposed the bill on harm‑reduction grounds, arguing vaping can help smokers quit combustible tobacco; Alex McDonald (Fairbanks) said recent survey data do not support the urgency claimed by proponents and noted that confiscated devices often contain THC rather than nicotine.
Fiscal and agency impacts were discussed after testimony. Brandon Spanos of the Department of Revenue's Tax Division presented an indeterminate fiscal note with a post‑implementation revenue range of about $2.7 million to $6.1 million (FY '29 full implementation) and estimated one‑time IT capital costs of $250,000 plus two new staff positions. Multiple agencies including Public Defender, Office of Public Advocacy, Department of Public Health, Department of Law, Department of Public Safety, and the courts reported either zero or minimal fiscal impacts; the court system noted the bill would add a $300 civil fine and a bail schedule for 18–20‑year‑olds but expects only modest workload changes.
Co‑Chair Foster set an amendment deadline for SB 24 of Thursday, May 14 at 5:00 p.m., and directed members to submit proposed changes to committee staff.
The committee did not take a final vote on SB 24 during this session; members and staff requested additional technical clarifications in the fiscal notes and asked for further drafting work before returning the bill to the floor.
