From an article in Cigar Aficionado website. Trying to kills cigar sales online under the guise of stopping minors from vaping. Article posted on November 13.

Today in Washington, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee passed H.R. 2339, a legislative bill that, if passed into law, would ban all catalog and internet sales for tobacco products, including premium cigars.

Also known as the “Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act,” H.R. 2339 is aimed at the vaping and cigarette industry, yet premium cigars have been lumped into the language of the legislation. The bill unambiguously states that all tobacco purchases, including premium cigars, would require “retail sales through a direct, face-to-face exchange between a retailer and a consumer.”

The bill also seeks to raise the national tobacco purchasing age to 21, including military personnel, and would approve the FDA to collect another $100 million in user fees from the tobacco industry.

Today in Washington, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee passed H.R. 2339, a legislative bill that, if passed into law, would ban all catalog and internet sales for tobacco products, including premium cigars.

Also known as the “Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act,” H.R. 2339 is aimed at the vaping and cigarette industry, yet premium cigars have been lumped into the language of the legislation. The bill unambiguously states that all tobacco purchases, including premium cigars, would require “retail sales through a direct, face-to-face exchange between a retailer and a consumer.”

The bill also seeks to raise the national tobacco purchasing age to 21, including military personnel, and would approve the FDA to collect another $100 million in user fees from the tobacco industry.

But H.R. 2339 has a few more steps before it’s passed into law. The full Committee is expected to vote on (and pass) the bill next week. After that, H.R. 2339 would go before the House for a final vote, and that timeline is unspecified. After that, it would need Senate approval.

H.R. 2339 was introduced by Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) and Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL).

Speaking up for the premium cigar industry at the hearings, Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) proposed an exemption, affirming that premium cigar manufacturers do not market to children.

“The FDA’s own science underscored our legislative intent,” Castor said. “FDA and FDA-funded reports found that traditional, handcrafted premium cigars are not marketed [to] or used by children in any significant way.”

Although Pallone immediately opposed the exemption, the New Jersey Democrat said he’d be open to consider her concern when the issue goes to full committee—if she withdraw her amendment.

“I oppose the gentlewoman’s amendment, but I would be open, if she would withdraw it and not vote on it at this time, to consider her concern when we go to full committee…I think we can come up with something to address the concern that you have,” Pallone said.

Castor agreed and withdrew the amendment. Now, she has about a week to convince Pallone that some degree of compromise is warranted. The language in the bill could indeed be different once it goes before the full Committee.

It should be noted that Shalala, who helped pen the bill, is also in favor of an exemption.

“We actually made a lot of progress today,” said Drew Newman, legal counsel for J.C. Newman Cigar Co. “After presenting her amendment, Rep. Castor withdrew it after receiving a commitment from Committee Chair Pallone to work on a reasonable resolution for premium cigars.”

This is a developing story. See upcoming coverage of H.R. 2339 and its potential impact on the premium cigar industry.

this is a House Resolution, so it is just a proposal...... a long way from being an actual enforceable law...

if it ever goes to the Senate, it will die, along with everything else that has been sent to the Senate, run by McConnell and the GOP, since the Dems gained a majority in the House...

it'll be interesting to see what the composition of the House and Senate will be after the 2020 elections, and whether the authors of this bill are still in office and if there is continued interest in this bill...


in the meantime, just in case...load up

12 years ago, I never dreamed there would be a smoking ban in bars.

Never underestimate our government's desire and ability to take away our rights under the cover of the word "safe".

Even if this doesn't pass, I am anticipating the state of CA to enact their own version of it soon. That's why I've been stockpiling cigars since the end of last year.

I always say I'll never move back to the midwest, but if I can't buy stogies online, I probably will.

You'd better hurry. California is only slightly behind China in their level of authoritarian communism.

Soon they'll follow China's lead and implement a "social credit score" where tobacco use hurts your score severely, then they'll put you in "re-education camps" where you're beaten and forced to pledge allegiance to enormous placards of Karl Marx, Che Guevara and Gavin Newsom for twelve hours a day.

Even if you're not declared a "tobacco subversive" you, along with all other state residents, will be imprisoned eventually anyway once the state inevitably raises its income tax rate over 100% making all residents guilty of tax underpayment.

If you're ever released from the camp, exit visas to leave the state will be impossible to get. You can try to make a break for the border with the free state of Nevada under cover of darkness on foot, but few make it.

Leave now, while you still can.

(Yes, in case you hadn't noticed, this is humor and I'm not serious).
.

If this ever happens, it will solidify my nagging desire to open a shop.

LIKE!

It's gonna happen.

We've been blessed with two decades of tax free tobacco sales. But as tobacco consumption continues to decline, our fearless leaders who depend on the taxes will use some humanitarian excuse (won't somebody please think of the children?!) to restrict our access without paying them.

All these 16 year old kids buying PAMs and Opus with their computers has got to stop!

SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Speaking as a cigar smoking Californian Independent, I was relieved to read your last sentence. ;)