Bill Text: NY A08631 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Regulates the online sale of vaping products and requires proof of identification to show a purchaser is over the age of twenty-one.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to health [A08631 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A08631-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8631

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     October 2, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. D'URSO -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Health

        AN  ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the regulation of
          electronic distributors of vaping products

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
     2  1399-ddd to read as follows:
     3    § 1399-ddd. Online sale of vaping products. 1.  (a)  For  purposes  of
     4  this  section,  "vaping"  or  "vaping products" shall mean the use of an
     5  electronic cigarette or any products associated with the use of such.
     6    (b) "Electronic distributor" shall mean any licensed person  or  busi-
     7  ness  who  advertises  and  sells  vaping  products to the public online
     8  through a website, where an individual is able to purchase such products
     9  and have them delivered directly.
    10    2. All electronic distributors of vaping products  shall  ensure  that
    11  the  outside of each shipping container used to ship such vaping product
    12  directly to a New York resident or any resident outside of the state  is
    13  clearly  and  conspicuously  labeled  with  the words: "CONTAINS TOBACCO
    14  PRODUCTS-SIGNATURE OF PERSON AGE 21 OR OLDER REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY - NOT
    15  FOR RESALE" or with other language specifically approved by the  depart-
    16  ment.
    17    3.  (a)  All  electronic  distributors shall clearly and conspicuously
    18  provide notice on their website that a  purchaser  shall  be  twenty-one
    19  years  of  age  in  order  to  purchase such vaping products. Electronic
    20  distributors shall be responsible for taking  the  necessary  steps  and
    21  exercising  due  diligence  in  preventing  minors from having access to
    22  purchase vaping products from their websites.
    23    (b) The department of health shall have the authority  to  conduct  an
    24  investigation,  where  necessary,  into  any  electronic distributor and
    25  their  website  to  determine  if  such   distributor   has   sufficient

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11714-01-9

        A. 8631                             2

     1  restrictions  in  place  to  prevent  the  unauthorized  sale  of vaping
     2  products to minors. If the department shall make  a  determination  that
     3  such  current  restrictions  are  insufficient,  the department shall be
     4  authorized  to  suspend the license of such electronic distributor until
     5  sufficient restrictions have been added  or  current  restrictions  have
     6  been  improved  and  the  department  has deemed such restrictions to be
     7  satisfactory.
     8    4. The electronic distribution of vaping products shall be  made  only
     9  to a purchaser who:
    10    (a)  demonstrates  he  or  she  is at least twenty-one years of age by
    11  providing a valid form  of  photographic  identification  authorized  by
    12  subdivision  three  of  section  thirteen hundred ninety-nine-cc of this
    13  article and digitally uploads such photographic  identification  to  the
    14  website  of the electronic distributor conducting such sale, in a format
    15  that allows the electronic distributor to conduct a transaction scan and
    16  efficiently determine the age of such purchaser; and
    17    (b) signs an electronic or  paper  form  or  other  acknowledgment  of
    18  receipt as approved by the department.
    19    5.  An electronic distributor shall refuse sale and delivery of vaping
    20  products to purchasers who have failed to comply with  the  requirements
    21  of subdivision four of this section.
    22    6. For any violation of this section that results in the unlawful sale
    23  of  vaping products to a minor, the following penalties shall be imposed
    24  upon an electronic distributor who  is  responsible  for  such  unlawful
    25  sale:
    26    (a)  a civil penalty of between five thousand and twenty-five thousand
    27  dollars and a suspension of license for up to six months for  the  first
    28  violation;
    29    (b)  a  civil  penalty  of  between  ten  thousand and thirty thousand
    30  dollars and a suspension of license for up to three years for  a  second
    31  violation within a three year period; and
    32    (c) a suspension of license for up to five years for a third violation
    33  within a five year period.
    34    7.  (a)  A  committee shall be established by the department of health
    35  for the purpose of monitoring, regulating, inspecting and grading  elec-
    36  tronic  distributors  of  vaping  products.  The  members  and amount of
    37  members who shall make up such committee shall be chosen by the  depart-
    38  ment as it deems necessary.
    39    (b)  Such  committee  shall  have  access  to  all places where vaping
    40  products are stored and maintained  in  order  to  effectively  monitor,
    41  regulate,  inspect  and  grade  each  electronic distributor, as well as
    42  access to any platform used by an electronic distributor in  the  course
    43  of selling vaping products.
    44    (c) Such committee shall report back to the department and commission-
    45  er  with  their  findings on an annual basis, and shall make recommenda-
    46  tions as to courses of action that should be taken, where appropriate.
    47    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    48  have become a law.
feedback