SENATE BILL NO. 24 "An Act relating to tobacco, tobacco products, electronic smoking products, nicotine, and products containing nicotine; raising the minimum age to purchase, exchange, or possess tobacco, a product containing nicotine, or an electronic smoking product; relating to the tobacco use education and cessation fund; relating to the taxation of electronic smoking products and vapor products; and providing for an effective date." 9:13:40 AM Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that the committee first heard the bill on April 1 and had taken public testimony and reviewed the fiscal note at the time. The amendment deadline was April 11, and the co-chairs had received one amendment. A small technical change was brought to the attention of the committee after the amendment deadline. The committee would consider the amendment. 9:14:30 AM SENATOR GARY STEVENS, SPONSOR, reintroduced the legislation. He explained that the bill was about protecting children from becoming addicted. The bill restricted sales and possession of nicotine products by young people. The bill was an effort to push back on a multi-billion industry trying to addict young people to the substances. The bill raised the legal age to buy, sell, use, and possess cigarettes, nicotine products, and e- cigarettes to 21. He relayed that taxing of the products was shown to reduce consumption. 9:15:27 AM TIM LAMKIN, STAFF, SENATOR GARY STEVENS, relayed that the bill was very similar to a bill that had passed the committee previously. He asked if he should review components of the bill or address members questions. 9:15:39 AM Co-Chair Stedman asked if SB 24 was identical to the bill passed in the committee one year previously. He asked about an effective date change. 9:15:48 AM Mr. Lamkin replied that there was a slight change to the bill from the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee. Co-Chair Stedman asked about the change. Mr. Lamkin explained that there was an exemption added to the bill related to online sales of cigars and pipe tobacco. Co-Chair Hoffman relayed that the committee would consider amendments. 9:16:37 AM Senator Kaufman MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 1, 34.LS0260\1. I, Nauman, 4/2/25 (copy on file): Page l, lines 4-5 Delete "relating to the taxation of electronic smoking products and vapor products;" Page 7, line 9: Delete "43.50.850 - 43.50.900" 7 Insert "43.50.850 - 43.50.870" 8 Page 8, lines 6- Il: Delete all material. Renumber the following bill sections accordingly. Page 10, line 15: Delete "Licensing, and Tax" 16 Insert "and Licensing" Page 10, line 16, through page 11 , line 15: Delete all material. Page 11, line 16: Delete "Sec. 43.50.860" Insert "Sec. 43.50.850" following "faith;": Insert "or" Page 11, line 25: Delete or" 7 Insert 8 Page 11 , line 26: Delete all material. Page 12, lines I - 2: Delete "; and" Page 12, line 3: Delete all material. Page 12, line 20, through page 13, line 5: Delete all material. Page 13, line 6: Delete "Sec. 43.50.880" 27 Insert "Sec. 43.50.860" Page 13, lines 14 - 15: Delete "authorized by law to possess electronic smoking products not taxed under this chapter" 24 - 25: Delete "authorized by law to possess electronic smoking products not taxed under this chapter" Page 13, line 27: Delete Insert "and" Page 13, lines 28 - 29: Delete ", and the tax imposed on the electronic smoking product under this chapter has been paid" Page 14, line 31, through page 15, line 3: Delete all material. Page 15, line 4: Delete "Sec. 43.50.885" 19 Insert "Sec. 43.50.870" Page 15, line 19, through page 16, line 8: Delete all material. Renumber the following paragraphs accordingly. Page 21, line 9: Delete "sec. 24" Insert "sec. 23" Page 23, line 24: Delete "sec. 26" Insert "sec. 5" Page 23, line 25: Delete " 16, 19, and 25" Insert " 18, and 24" 19 Page 23, line 26: Delete "sec. 29" Insert "sec. 28" 9:16:44 AM Co-Chair Hoffman OBJECTED for discussion. 9:17:03 AM AT EASE 9:17:05 AM RECONVENED Senator Kaufman explained that the amendment would remove the tax component of the bill, which he thought had been the impediment to the legislation moving forward. He thought the bill would do good work without the tax component. Co-Chair Hoffman asked for the sponsors position on the amendment. 9:17:46 AM Senator Stevens appreciated the amendment sponsors thought process. He contended that the tax caused less usage [of tobacco products]. He used the example of the tobacco tax and noted that every time the legislature increased the tax, consumption was reduced. He was opposed to the amendment. 9:18:26 AM Senator Kaufman thought it had been reported that there was already headway being made on the intent of the bill. He thought the bill might be getting in its own way of getting into statute. Co-Chair Hoffman MAINTAINED his OBJECTION. Senator Kaufman MOVED to WITHDRAW Amendment 1. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. 9:19:21 AM Senator Kiehl MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 2, 34-LS0260\I.2, Nauman, 5/5/25 (copy on file): Page 3, line 24: Delete "19" Insert "18, 19," Co-Chair Hoffman OBJECTED for discussion. 9:19:36 AM Senator Kiehl explained the amendment, which was a small technical fix related to putting 18-year-olds in a group with 19- and 20-year-olds in the context of getting a ticket and not a mandatory court appearance. 9:20:18 AM Senator Stevens appreciated and supported the amendment. Co-Chair Hoffman WITHDREW his objection. There being NO further OBJECTION, Amendment 2 was adopted. 9:20:39 AM AT EASE 9:21:55 AM RECONVENED Senator Kiehl MOVED to REPORT SB 24 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. CSSB 24(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with two "do pass" recommendations, one "amend" recommendation, three "no recommendations"; one new fiscal note from the Department of Revenue, and seven previously published zero fiscal notes: FN 1(CED), FN 2(ADM), FN 3(ADM), FN 4(DOH), FN 6(DPS), FN 7(AJS), FN 8(LAW). 9:22:41 AM AT EASE 9:26:56 AM RECONVENED