Sen. Julia Ratti, D-Sparks, has introduced a bill to expand taxes now imposed on tobacco products such as cigarettes to include vapor products.
SB263 would include all vapor products such as electronic cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes and other devices and their components under the existing tobacco taxes imposed on cigarettes. It mandates wholesalers and retailers of vaping products be licensed and wholesalers be required to collect and pay a 30 percent tax on those products.
The bill would mandate a health district and Division of Behavioral Health use not less than half the tax proceeds collected for tobacco prevention and treatment and the other 50 percent to address public health needs.
Finally, the measure would take effect July 1 of this year and apply the taxes retroactively to those vapor products dealers have in their inventory as of that date.
Since it imposes a tax, the measure would need a two-thirds majority to pass the Legislature.
SB263 was referred to the Committee on Revenue and Economic Development.
Assembly bill would bar hiding sexual misconduct in settlement agreements
A bill introduced Tuesday would prohibit settlement agreements from including provisions barring or restricting information about conduct that would qualify as a sexual offense.
AB248 would also prohibit non-disclosure provisions indicating discrimination based on sex by an employer or landlord or retaliation for a claim of discrimination.
The bill would, however, still allow provisions that prohibit disclosure of the amount of a settlement. It was referred to the Judiciary Committee for study.
Senate bill would ban bump stocks and other such devices
The Senate has received a bill that would extend the prohibitions on possessing or using a machine gun to include devices such as bump stocks.
SB261 by 10 Democratic members of the Senate would ban any device designed to increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm to approximate that of a machine gun. It specifically prohibits the possession, import, sale, manufacture or modification of any such firearm.
The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee for study.