HB8 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Barbara DrummondRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, regulation of retail sale of certain tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems, further provided

Summary

HB8 tightens Alabama's control over tobacco and vaping products by creating licensing, restricting vending, expanding penalties, and adding school-based vaping education and prevention policies.

What This Bill Does

It expands the definition of electronic nicotine delivery systems to include battery-powered devices delivering substances beyond tobacco. It bans distribution of tobacco, ENDS, e-liquids, and similar products through vending machines and requires licenses with new fees for distributors. It creates a Tobacco Licensing and Enforcement Fund to support enforcement, education, and prevention, and increases penalties for violations, including potential permit suspensions or revocations. It also establishes requirements for product directories, premarket certifications, signage, and a state model vaping education policy for schools, with local boards adopting policies accordingly.

Who It Affects

• Retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and vending operators of tobacco, tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), e-liquids, and alternative nicotine products, who must obtain permits, pay fees, follow vending restrictions, post signage, and comply with advertising and directory requirements.
• Students, parents/guardians, teachers, and school systems, who will be subject to school-based vaping awareness education, prevention programs, and graduated disciplinary policies for violations, as well as potential involvement with juvenile or district courts for certain offenses.

Key Provisions

• Redefines electronic nicotine delivery systems to include battery-powered devices delivering substances other than tobacco by vapor.
• Prohibits distribution of tobacco, tobacco products, ENDS, e-liquids, and alternative nicotine products via vending machines.
• Requires a tobacco/ENDS distributor license: one-time filing fee of $50 and annual permit fee of $150, with permits nontransferable and location-specific.
• Creates a Tobacco Licensing and Enforcement Fund in the State Treasury to fund enforcement, education, and prevention efforts, with specified fund distribution to agencies and education programs.
• Expands penalties for violations, including fines and possible suspension or revocation of permits; establishes due-process procedures for fines.
• Adds and expands advisory board membership for the ABC Board to reflect state diversity and includes industry and public health stakeholders.
• Requires posting of warning signage by tobacco retailers about dangers of tobacco and nicotine products; signage standards are specified.
• Gives the ABC Board general rulemaking authority to administer the tobacco laws and to regulate enforcement and education materials.
• Requires a directory of e-liquid manufacturers and ENDS/alternative nicotine product makers; mandates FDA compliance or marketing orders for directory eligibility; includes fees to fund directory operations.
• Imposes premarket/federal FDA certification requirements for e-liquids and ENDS manufacturers, with directory updates and reporting obligations.
• Prohibits certain advertising practices for ENDS and nicotine products, including flavored naming attempts and imagery appealing to minors; restricts outdoor advertising near schools and public venues.
• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt a model vaping awareness, education, and prevention policy and for local boards to adopt policies based on the model; school policies include graduated consequences for students who violate the policy.
• Repeals certain existing sections (28-11-15 and 28-11-19) related to specialty retailers and locations, and sets June 1, 2025, as the act’s effective date.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco