NY State Senate Bill 2017-S3978

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 31, 2018	reported and committed to finance
Jan 03, 2018	referred to health
Apr 25, 2017	reported and committed to finance
Jan 31, 2017	referred to health

Votes

- May 31, 2018 - Health Committee Vote
  S3978
  
  10
  
  Aye
  
  5
  
  Nay
  
  2
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Health Committee Vote: May 31, 2018
      
      aye (10)
      
      Felder
      
      Hannon
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Larkin
      
      Mayer
      
      Persaud
      
      Rivera
      
      Stavisky
      
      Valesky
      
      nay (5)
      
      Golden
      
      Little
      
      Montgomery
      
      Ritchie
      
      Seward
      
      aye wr (2)
      
      Jacobs
      
      Murphy
  Apr 25, 2017 - Health Committee Vote
  S3978
  
  10
  
  Aye
  
  4
  
  Nay
  
  3
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Health Committee Vote: Apr 25, 2017
      
      aye (10)
      
      Felder
      
      Hannon
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Persaud
      
      Ritchie
      
      Rivera
      
      Seward
      
      Stavisky
      
      Valesky
      
      nay (4)
      
      Golden
      
      Little
      
      Montgomery
      
      Tedisco
      
      aye wr (3)
      
      Jacobs
      
      Larkin
      
      Murphy

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A273
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§1399-aa, 1399-bb, 1399-cc, 1399-dd, 1399-ff, 1399-ll & 1399-mm, Pub Health L; amd §260.21, Pen L; amd §17-714, NYC Ad Cd
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S4863, A7105
2015-2016: S3456, A237
2019-2020: S2833, A558

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Increases the age to purchase tobacco products from 18 years old to 21 years old.

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S3978

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public health law, the penal law
and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to
increasing the purchasing age for tobacco products from eighteen to
twenty-one

 PURPOSE :

This bill would amend the public health law and the administrative
code of New York City to increase the age in which an individual can
buy cigarettes from eighteen to twenty-one years of age.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1: Subdivision 4 of section 1399-aa of the Public Health Law
is amended by deleting the age of "eighteen" and replacing it with
"twenty-one".

Section 2: Paragraphs (b), (c) and (f) of subdivision 2 of section
1399-bb of the Public Health Law are amended by removing "eighteen"
and replacing it with "twenty-one".

Section 3: Subdivision 4 of section 1399-bb of the Public Health Law
is amended by removing "eighteen" and replacing it with "twenty-one".

Section 4: Subdivisions 2, 3 and 7 of section 1399-cc of the Public
Health Law are amended by removing "eighteen" and replacing it with
"twenty-one".

Section 5: Subdivision (d) of Section 1399-dd of the Public Health Law
is amended by removing "eighteen" and replacing it with "twenty-one".

Section 6: Subdivision 1 of Section 1399-ff of the Public Health Law
is amended by deleting the word "minor" and replacing it with "person
under twenty-one years of age".

Section 7: Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subdivision 2 of Section 1399-11
of the Public Health Law are amended by removing "eighteen" and
replacing it with "twenty-one".

Section 8: Subdivision 1 of paragraphs (b) and (c) of subdivision 2 of
Section 1399-mm of the Public Health Law is amended by removing
"eighteen" and replacing it with "twenty-one".

Section 9: Subdivision 3 of section 260.21 of the Penal Law is amended
by removing "eighteen" and replacing it with "twenty-one".

Section 10: Section 17-706 of the Administrative Code of the City of
New York is amended by removing "eighteen" and replacing it with
"twenty-one".

Section 11: Section 17-714 of the Administrative Code of the City of
New York is amended by removing "eighteen" and replacing it with
"twenty-one".

 JUSTIFICATION :

Every year in New York, fifty-three thousand youth under the age of
eighteen become regular smokers. Many of them tried their first
cigarette before they entered high school. Three hundred eighty nine
thousand youth under the age of eighteen in New York will ultimately
die prematurely from smoking. Of the many youth who become regular
smokers, half of them will eventually die from smoking related
disease. They will suffer from cancer, emphysema, heart disease,
asthma, hypertension, and other ailments. New York spends over $8
billion caring for people made sick from smoking and New York
residents' State and Federal tax burden from smoking caused healthcare
expenditures is approximately $900 per household.

The key to reducing the number of smokers in New York is to stop them
before they start. Raising the smoking age to twenty one removes
cigarettes from high schools and eliminates a popular source of
tobacco from underage children.

The best way to reduce the number of citizens who smoke is to prevent
initiation of tobacco use. A fairly short time passes between
initiation and addiction, and most interventions miss this small
window of opportunity. The majority of smokers sixteen years of age
and younger are intermittent users; addictive smoking requiring
regular purchased begins later, at a median age of seventeen. Raising
the purchase age provides an opportunity to expose intermittent users
to strong counter-marketing, and de-normalizing campaigns. Keeping
youths tobacco free for a longer period of time allows such
interventions to reach them before they become regular users.

Simply delaying tobacco use provides benefits. The earlier people
begin to smoke, the higher their risk for contracting lung cancer and
other health problems. Just being able to stop a small percentage of
these youth from smoking will yield incredible savings in medical
bills and lost work.

Because tobacco use persists among youth and adults, New York State
must take further action. Preventing young adults from taking up
smoking is critical because, according to the Surgeon General, 88% of
adult smokers started the habit before age 18, and 90% of the people
who purchase cigarettes for minors are between the ages of 18 and 20.

By raising the legal purchase age to twenty one, we will help prevent
a generation of New Yorkers from becoming addicted to smoking and
ultimately save thousands of lives. By delaying children and young
adults access to tobacco products, we will reduce the likelihood they
ever start smoking and therefore create a healthier state.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2013-16 - died in Health Committee.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law.

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3978
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 31, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, the penal law and the administra-
   tive code of the city of New  York,  in  relation  to  increasing  the
   purchasing age for tobacco products from eighteen to twenty-one

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Subdivision 4 of section 1399-aa of the public health law,
 as added by chapter 799 of the laws of  1992,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   4. "Private club" means an organization with no more than an insignif-
 icant  portion  of  its  membership comprised of people under the age of
 [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years that regularly receives dues and/or payments
 from its members for the use of space, facilities and services.
   § 2. Paragraphs (b), (c) and (f) of subdivision 2 of  section  1399-bb
 of  the public health law, as amended by chapter 13 of the laws of 2003,
 are amended to read as follows:
   (b) conventions and trade shows; provided  that  the  distribution  is
 confined  to  designated areas generally accessible only to persons over
 the age of [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE;
   (c) events sponsored by  tobacco  or  herbal  cigarette  manufacturers
 provided that the distribution is confined to designated areas generally
 accessible only to persons over the age of [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE;
   (f)  factories  as  defined  in  subdivision  nine of section thirteen
 hundred ninety-nine-aa of this article and construction sites;  provided
 that the distribution is confined to designated areas generally accessi-
 ble only to persons over the age of [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE.
   §  3.  Subdivision  4  of section 1399-bb of the public health law, as
 amended by chapter 508 of the laws  of  2000,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01709-01-7

 S. 3978                             2
 
   4.  The distribution of tobacco products or herbal cigarettes pursuant
 to subdivision two of this section shall be made only to  an  individual
 who demonstrates, through a driver's license or other photographic iden-
 tification card issued by a government entity or educational institution
 indicating  that  the individual is at least [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years
 of age. Such identification need not be required of any  individual  who
 reasonably  appears  to  be at least twenty-five years of age; provided,
 however, that such appearance shall not  constitute  a  defense  in  any
 proceeding alleging the sale of a tobacco product or herbal cigarette to
 an individual.
   §  4.  Subdivisions 2, 3 and 7 of section 1399-cc of the public health
 law, as amended by chapter 542 of the laws of 2014, are amended to  read
 as follows:
   2.  Any person operating a place of business wherein tobacco products,
 herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic cigarettes, are
 sold or offered for sale  is  prohibited  from  selling  such  products,
 herbal  cigarettes,  liquid  nicotine,  shisha, electronic cigarettes or
 smoking paraphernalia to individuals under [eighteen]  TWENTY-ONE  years
 of  age,  and  shall post in a conspicuous place a sign upon which there
 shall be imprinted the following statement, "SALE OF CIGARETTES, CIGARS,
 CHEWING TOBACCO, POWDERED TOBACCO, SHISHA  OR  OTHER  TOBACCO  PRODUCTS,
 HERBAL  CIGARETTES,  LIQUID  NICOTINE,  ELECTRONIC  CIGARETTES,  ROLLING
 PAPERS OR SMOKING PARAPHERNALIA, TO PERSONS UNDER [EIGHTEEN]  TWENTY-ONE
 YEARS  OF  AGE  IS  PROHIBITED  BY LAW." Such sign shall be printed on a
 white card in red letters at least one-half inch in height.
   3. Sale of  tobacco  products,  herbal  cigarettes,  liquid  nicotine,
 shisha  or electronic cigarettes in such places, other than by a vending
 machine, shall be made only to an individual who  demonstrates,  through
 (a)  a valid driver's license or non-driver's identification card issued
 by the commissioner of  motor  vehicles,  the  federal  government,  any
 United  States  territory,  commonwealth  or possession, the District of
 Columbia, a state government within the United States  or  a  provincial
 government  of the dominion of Canada, or (b) a valid passport issued by
 the United States government or any other country, or (c) an identifica-
 tion card issued by the armed forces of the  United  States,  indicating
 that the individual is at least [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years of age. Such
 identification  need  not  be  required of any individual who reasonably
 appears to be at least twenty-five years of age, provided, however, that
 such appearance shall not constitute a defense in any proceeding  alleg-
 ing  the  sale of a tobacco product, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine,
 shisha or electronic cigarettes to an individual under [eighteen]  TWEN-
 TY-ONE years of age.
   7.  No  person operating a place of business wherein tobacco products,
 herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic cigarettes  are
 sold  or  offered for sale shall sell, permit to be sold, offer for sale
 or display for sale any tobacco product, herbal cigarettes, liquid nico-
 tine, shisha  or  electronic  cigarettes  in  any  manner,  unless  such
 products  and  cigarettes are stored for sale (a) behind a counter in an
 area accessible only to the personnel of such  business,  or  (b)  in  a
 locked container; provided, however, such restriction shall not apply to
 tobacco  businesses, as defined in subdivision eight of section thirteen
 hundred ninety-nine-aa of this article, and to places to which admission
 is restricted to persons [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years of age or older.
   § 5. Subdivision (d) of section 1399-dd of the public health  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  448  of  the  laws  of 2012, is amended to read as
 follows:

 S. 3978                             3
 
   (d) in a place of employment which has an insignificant portion of its
 regular workforce comprised of people under the age of [eighteen]  TWEN-
 TY-ONE  years  and only in such locations that are not accessible to the
 general public; provided, however, that in such  locations  the  vending
 machine  is  located  in plain view and under the direct supervision and
 control of the person in charge of the location or his or her designated
 agent or employee.
   § 6. Subdivision 1 of section 1399-ff of the  public  health  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  448  of  the  laws  of 2012, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. Where a civil penalty  for  a  particular  incident  has  not  been
 imposed  or  an  enforcement action regarding an alleged violation for a
 particular incident is not pending under section thirteen hundred  nine-
 ty-nine-ee  of  this  article,  a parent or guardian of a [minor] PERSON
 UNDER TWENTY-ONE YEARS OF AGE to whom  tobacco  products,  herbal  ciga-
 rettes  or electronic cigarettes are sold or distributed in violation of
 this article may submit a complaint to an  enforcement  officer  setting
 forth  the  name  and  address  of the alleged violator, the date of the
 alleged violation, the name and  address  of  the  complainant  and  the
 [minor]  PERSON  UNDER  TWENTY-ONE  YEARS  OF AGE, and a brief statement
 describing the alleged violation. The enforcement officer  shall  notify
 the  alleged  violator  by  certified or registered mail, return receipt
 requested, that a complaint has been submitted, and shall set a date, at
 least fifteen days after the mailing of such notice, for  a  hearing  on
 the  complaint.  Such  notice shall contain the information submitted by
 the complainant.
   § 7. Paragraphs (b) and (c) of subdivision 2 of section 1399-ll of the
 public health law, as added by chapter 518 of  the  laws  of  2000,  are
 amended to read as follows:
   (b)  Any  person operating a tobacco business wherein bidis is sold or
 offered for sale is prohibited from selling such  bidis  to  individuals
 under  [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years of age, and shall post in a conspicu-
 ous place a sign upon which  there  shall  be  imprinted  the  following
 statement,  "SALE  OF BIDIS TO PERSONS UNDER [EIGHTEEN] TWENTY-ONE YEARS
 OF AGE IS PROHIBITED BY LAW."  Such sign shall be  printed  on  a  white
 card in red letters at least one-half inch in height.
   (c)  Sales  of  bidis  by  a tobacco business shall be made only to an
 individual who demonstrates, through a driver's license or other  photo-
 graphic identification card issued by a government entity or educational
 institution  indicating that the individual is at least [eighteen] TWEN-
 TY-ONE years of age. Such identification need not  be  required  of  any
 individual  who  reasonably  appears to be at least twenty-five years of
 age, provided, however, that such  appearance  shall  not  constitute  a
 defense  in  any proceeding alleging the sale of a tobacco product to an
 individual under [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years of age.
   § 8. Subdivision 1 and paragraphs (b) and  (c)  of  subdivision  2  of
 section 1399-mm of the public health law, as added by chapter 549 of the
 laws of 2003, are amended to read as follows:
   1. No person shall knowingly sell or provide gutka to any other person
 under  [eighteen]  TWENTY-ONE  years  of  age. No other provision of law
 authorizing the sale of tobacco products, other than subdivision two  of
 this  section,  shall  authorize  the  sale  of  gutka.   Any person who
 violates the provisions of this subdivision shall be subject to a  civil
 penalty of not more than five hundred dollars.
   (b)  Any  person operating a tobacco business wherein gutka is sold or
 offered for sale is prohibited from selling such  gutka  to  individuals

 S. 3978                             4
 
 under  [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years of age, and shall post in a conspicu-
 ous place a sign upon which  there  shall  be  imprinted  the  following
 statement,  "SALE  OF GUTKA TO PERSONS UNDER [EIGHTEEN] TWENTY-ONE YEARS
 OF  AGE  IS  PROHIBITED BY LAW."   Such sign shall be printed on a white
 card in red letters at least one-half inch in height.
   (c) Sales of gutka by a tobacco business shall  be  made  only  to  an
 individual  who demonstrates, through a driver's license or other photo-
 graphic identification card issued by a government entity or educational
 institution indicating that the individual is at least [eighteen]  TWEN-
 TY-ONE  years  of  age.  Such identification need not be required of any
 individual who reasonably appears to be at least  twenty-five  years  of
 age,  provided,  however,  that  such  appearance shall not constitute a
 defense in any proceeding alleging the sale of a tobacco product  to  an
 individual under [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years of age.
   §  9.  Subdivision  3  of section 260.21 of the penal law, as added by
 chapter 362 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
   3. He OR SHE sells or causes to be sold tobacco in any form to a child
 less than [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years old.
   § 10. Section 17-714 of the administrative code of  the  city  of  New
 York,  as amended by local law number 69 of the city of New York for the
 year 2009, is amended to read as follows:
   § 17-714 Sale of herbal cigarettes to minors prohibited. It  shall  be
 unlawful  for  any person to sell or offer for sale herbal cigarettes to
 an individual under [eighteen] TWENTY-ONE years of age.
   § 11. This act shall take effect on  the  one  hundred  twentieth  day
 after it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S3978

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

May 31, 2018 - Health Committee Vote

Health Committee Vote: May 31, 2018

Apr 25, 2017 - Health Committee Vote

Health Committee Vote: Apr 25, 2017

co-Sponsors

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S3978

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

co-Sponsors

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S3978 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments