A 4999: Prohibits the retail sale of flavored tobacco products and accessories; imposes a fine of not more than five hundred dollars for each infraction.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4999 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 10, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, ROSENTHAL, SEAWRIGHT, SIMON, EPSTEIN, DINOWITZ, GLICK, STECK, JACOBSON, MEEKS, ZINERMAN, JACKSON, REYES, LEE, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, DAVILA, HYNDMAN, LUCAS, ALVAREZ -- Multi- Sponsored by -- M. of A. LEVENBERG -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to prohibiting the retail sale of flavored tobacco products and accessories 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-cc-1 to read as follows: 3 § 1399-cc-1. Retail sale of flavored tobacco products and accessories 4 prohibited. 1. For the purposes of this section, the term "characteriz- 5 ing flavor" shall mean a distinguishable taste or aroma, other than the 6 taste or aroma of tobacco, imparted either prior to or during consump- 7 tion of a tobacco product, including but not limited to, tastes or 8 aromas relating to any fruit, chocolate, vanilla, honey, candy, cocoa, 9 dessert, alcoholic beverage, mint, wintergreen, herb, spice, or menthol, 10 or any concept flavor that imparts a taste or aroma that is distinguish- 11 able from tobacco flavor but may not relate to any particular known 12 flavor. 13 2. No tobacco business, firm, partnership, association, limited 14 liability company, corporation, or other entity licensed pursuant to 15 article twenty of the tax law, or employee of such entities shall sell 16 or offer for retail sale tobacco products with a characterizing flavor 17 or accessories that impart a characterizing flavor to a tobacco product 18 in this state. 19 3. Any tobacco business, firm, partnership, association, limited 20 liability company, corporation, or other entity licensed pursuant to 21 article twenty of the tax law that violates the provisions of this 22 section shall be subject to a civil fine of not more than five hundred EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06760-01-5 
 A. 4999 2 1 dollars. Complaints alleging violations of this section may be submit- 2 ted to personnel designated pursuant to section thirteen hundred nine- 3 ty-nine-ff of this article, except that such complaints may be submitted 4 by any person. 5 4. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no enforcement agent, 6 police officer, peace officer or other law enforcement officer may stop, 7 question, search or arrest any person: (a) on grounds of or in relation 8 to possession, consumption or purchase of any product subject to this 9 section; or (b) for the purpose of inquiring or determining how or from 10 what person or entity the person obtained any product subject to this 11 section. 12 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 13 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment 14 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 15 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 16 completed on or before such date.