2024 Virginia General Assembly Vape Related Bills

** 2024 Virginia General Assembly Vape Related Bills **

The Virginia General Assembly is into its 60-day regular session. Approximately 3,000 bills have been filed. Below is a list and summary of all the vape related bills. There are a few that we really your support on!

Bills We Support:

HB790 and SB582 are two bills VGI Distribution helped draft with the Virginia Smoke Free Association. These bills support a licensing program and they change the tax imposed on liquid nicotine which changes/reduces the tax imposed on liquid nicotine in open systems to 10% of the wholesale price. The bill also requires businesses to turnover tax compliance records as a condition of licensure, among other best practices. 

Bills We Oppose:

Of course, big tobacco (Altria, Reynolds) have two bills of their own: HB1069 and SB550. These bills require to Attorney General’s office to maintain a list of PMTA-approved or pending products, and would make it illegal to sell any product not pending or otherwise approved by the PMTA process, i.e., no flavors and no disposables. 

Bills Already Killed:

HB1036 was a major concern for us as well, but we are happy to report we worked hard and killed this in committee. This bill would have allowed localities to impose their own tax on nicotine vapor products. 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS FIGHT!

HB1069 is being heard on Tuesday, February 6th. If you are able, please try to come and speak against the bill. 

Where: General Assembly Building: 923 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA

House General Laws ABC/Gaming Subcommittee: Room 008 (meet outside of committee room)

Time: Hearing should begin around 1:30pm. Please arrive by 1:00pm. Allow ample time for parking and to get through security.

Messages we want to convey:

• HB1069 does nothing to address youth access to vapor products. It only serves Big Tobacco. 
• This bill will force small and medium size business out of business.
• There will be an increase in unsafe, black market vape products.
• People will revert back to smoking
• Thousands of vapor products are in pending legal cases so it will be impossible to maintain an accurate and legal list of products.
• The FDA is the approved body to regulate and enforce tobacco and nicotine products.

If you can't attend the meeting, please call or email your lawmakers in opposition to the bills! https://casaa.org/.../virginia-stop-the-joe-camel.../