On Wednesday, July 8th, the California Committee on Governmental Organization will hold a hearing in consideration of Senate Bill 140. The bill would define e-cigarettes as tobacco products and hold retailers to the same licensing fees and rules as tobacco products. This means:
- Vaping will be prohibited indoors, including vape shops.
- Customers in vape shops would not be permitted to sample products before they buy.
- Sales to minors would be prohibited and violators would face the same punishments as tobacco retailers.
If the bill passes and is signed into law, the rules would go into effect on October 1, 2016.
UPDATE: The LA Times is reporting that this bill has been withdrawn.