Title 21 — Food and DrugsRelease 119-73
§387f General provisions respecting control of tobacco products
Title 21 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC ACT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IX— - TOBACCO PRODUCTS › § 387f
Summary
Makes rules for how tobacco products are regulated, and how those rules can be changed. Any rule that was already in place stays in effect until the agency changes it under the law. When the agency proposes a new rule or publishes findings, it must tell people how to look at the data behind the action and must give at least 60 days (but no more than 90 days unless the agency says otherwise for good cause) for people to comment in writing or orally. Certain business information that is protected from public disclosure under federal law stays confidential, though it can be shared with officials who work on these tobacco rules or used in related legal proceedings. The agency may make regulations to limit sale, distribution, advertising, promotion, access, and labeling of tobacco products to protect public health. Those decisions must weigh benefits and risks to the whole population, including users and nonusers, and consider whether current users will quit or nonusers will start. Labels must carry any required restriction statements. Rules cannot ban face-to-face sales by a whole type of retailer or set a minimum sales age above 21. Matchbooks (up to 20 matches) usually count as adult publications unless the agency decides otherwise. Deadlines tied to June 22, 2009: within 18 months make rules on non–face-to-face sales (including age checks) and within 2 years address non–face-to-face marketing. It is illegal for any retailer to sell tobacco to anyone under 21. The agency can also require good manufacturing practices or HACCP-style controls (and pesticide testing), must consult its scientific advisory committee and hold hearings before such rules, must give small manufacturers at least 4 years to comply, allows petitions for exemptions or variances with a 60-day review by the committee, and does not require compliance before the end of the 3-year period after June 22, 2009. The agency may contract for research and obtain tobacco for testing.
Full Legal Text
Title 21, §387f
Food and Drugs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Any requirement established by or under section 387b, 387c, 387e, or 387i of this title applicable to a tobacco product shall apply to such tobacco product until the applicability of the requirement to the tobacco product has been changed by action taken under section 387g of this title, section 387j of this title, section 387k of this title, or subsection (d) of this section, and any requirement established by or under section 387b, 387c, 387e, or 387i of this title which is inconsistent with a requirement imposed on such tobacco product under section 387g of this title, section 387j of this title, section 387k of this title, or subsection (d) of this section shall not apply to such tobacco product.
(b)Each notice of proposed rulemaking or other notification under section 387g, 387h, 387i, 387j, or 387k of this title or under this section, any other notice which is published in the Federal Register with respect to any other action taken under any such section and which states the reasons for such action, and each publication of findings required to be made in connection with rulemaking under any such section shall set forth—
(1)the manner in which interested persons may examine data and other information on which the notice or findings is 11 So in original. Probably should be “are”. based; and
(2)the period within which interested persons may present their comments on the notice or findings (including the need therefore) orally or in writing, which period shall be at least 60 days but may not exceed 90 days unless the time is extended by the Secretary by a notice published in the Federal Register stating good cause therefore.
(c)Any information reported to or otherwise obtained by the Secretary or the Secretary’s representative under section 387c, 387d, 387g, 387h, 387i, 387j, 387k, or 374 of this title, or under subsection (e) or (f) of this section, which is exempt from disclosure under subsection (a) of section 552 of title 5 by reason of subsection (b)(4) of that section shall be considered confidential and shall not be disclosed, except that the information may be disclosed to other officers or employees concerned with carrying out this subchapter, or when relevant in any proceeding under this subchapter.
(d)(1)The Secretary may by regulation require restrictions on the sale and distribution of a tobacco product, including restrictions on the access to, and the advertising and promotion of, the tobacco product, if the Secretary determines that such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health. The Secretary may by regulation impose restrictions on the advertising and promotion of a tobacco product consistent with and to full extent permitted by the first amendment to the Constitution. The finding as to whether such regulation would be appropriate for the protection of the public health shall be determined with respect to the risks and benefits to the population as a whole, including users and nonusers of the tobacco product, and taking into account—
(A)the increased or decreased likelihood that existing users of tobacco products will stop using such products; and
(B)the increased or decreased likelihood that those who do not use tobacco products will start using such products.
(2)The label of a tobacco product shall bear such appropriate statements of the restrictions required by a regulation under subsection (a) as the Secretary may in such regulation prescribe.
(3)(A)No restrictions under paragraph (1) may—
(i)prohibit the sale of any tobacco product in face-to-face transactions by a specific category of retail outlets; or
(ii)establish a minimum age of sale of tobacco products to any person older than 21 years of age.
(B)For purposes of any regulations issued by the Secretary, matchbooks of conventional size containing not more than 20 paper matches, and which are customarily given away for free with the purchase of tobacco products, shall be considered as adult-written publications which shall be permitted to contain advertising. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, if the Secretary finds that such treatment of matchbooks is not appropriate for the protection of the public health, the Secretary may determine by regulation that matchbooks shall not be considered adult-written publications.
(4)(A)The Secretary shall—
(i)within 18 months after June 22, 2009, promulgate regulations regarding the sale and distribution of tobacco products that occur through means other than a direct, face-to-face exchange between a retailer and a consumer in order to prevent the sale and distribution of tobacco products to individuals who have not attained the minimum age established by applicable law for the purchase of such products, including requirements for age verification; and
(ii)within 2 years after June 22, 2009, issue regulations to address the promotion and marketing of tobacco products that are sold or distributed through means other than a direct, face-to-face exchange between a retailer and a consumer in order to protect individuals who have not attained the minimum age established by applicable law for the purchase of such products.
(B)Nothing in this paragraph limits the authority of the Secretary to take additional actions under the other paragraphs of this subsection.
(5)It shall be unlawful for any retailer to sell a tobacco product to any person younger than 21 years of age.
(e)(1)(A)In applying manufacturing restrictions to tobacco, the Secretary shall, in accordance with subparagraph (B), prescribe regulations (which may differ based on the type of tobacco product involved) requiring that the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the manufacture, preproduction design validation (including a process to assess the performance of a tobacco product), packing, and storage of a tobacco product conform to current good manufacturing practice, or hazard analysis and critical control point methodology, as prescribed in such regulations to assure that the public health is protected and that the tobacco product is in compliance with this subchapter. Such regulations may provide for the testing of raw tobacco for pesticide chemical residues regardless of whether a tolerance for such chemical residues has been established.
(B)The Secretary shall—
(i)before promulgating any regulation under subparagraph (A), afford the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee an opportunity to submit recommendations with respect to the regulation proposed to be promulgated;
(ii)before promulgating any regulation under subparagraph (A), afford opportunity for an oral hearing;
(iii)provide the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee a reasonable time to make its recommendation with respect to proposed regulations under subparagraph (A);
(iv)in establishing the effective date of a regulation promulgated under this subsection, take into account the differences in the manner in which the different types of tobacco products have historically been produced, the financial resources of the different tobacco product manufacturers, and the state of their existing manufacturing facilities, and shall provide for a reasonable period of time for such manufacturers to conform to good manufacturing practices; and
(v)not require any small tobacco product manufacturer to comply with a regulation under subparagraph (A) for at least 4 years following the effective date established by the Secretary for such regulation.
(2)(A)Any person subject to any requirement prescribed under paragraph (1) may petition the Secretary for a permanent or temporary exemption or variance from such requirement. Such a petition shall be submitted to the Secretary in such form and manner as the Secretary shall prescribe and shall—
(i)in the case of a petition for an exemption from a requirement, set forth the basis for the petitioner’s determination that compliance with the requirement is not required to assure that the tobacco product will be in compliance with this subchapter;
(ii)in the case of a petition for a variance from a requirement, set forth the methods proposed to be used in, and the facilities and controls proposed to be used for, the manufacture, packing, and storage of the tobacco product in lieu of the methods, facilities, and controls prescribed by the requirement; and
(iii)contain such other information as the Secretary shall prescribe.
(B)The Secretary may refer to the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee any petition submitted under subparagraph (A). The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee shall report its recommendations to the Secretary with respect to a petition referred to it within 60 days after the date of the petition’s referral. Within 60 days after—
(i)the date the petition was submitted to the Secretary under subparagraph (A); or
(ii)the day after the petition was referred to the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee,
(C)The Secretary may approve—
(i)a petition for an exemption for a tobacco product from a requirement if the Secretary determines that compliance with such requirement is not required to assure that the tobacco product will be in compliance with this subchapter; and
(ii)a petition for a variance for a tobacco product from a requirement if the Secretary determines that the methods to be used in, and the facilities and controls to be used for, the manufacture, packing, and storage of the tobacco product in lieu of the methods, facilities, and controls prescribed by the requirement are sufficient to assure that the tobacco product will be in compliance with this subchapter.
(D)An order of the Secretary approving a petition for a variance shall prescribe such conditions respecting the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the manufacture, packing, and storage of the tobacco product to be granted the variance under the petition as may be necessary to assure that the tobacco product will be in compliance with this subchapter.
(E)After the issuance of an order under subparagraph (B) respecting a petition, the petitioner shall have an opportunity for an informal hearing on such order.
(3)Compliance with requirements under this subsection shall not be required before the end of the 3-year period following June 22, 2009.
(f)The Secretary may enter into contracts for research, testing, and demonstrations respecting tobacco products and may obtain tobacco products for research, testing, and demonstration purposes.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 906 of act June 25, 1938, was renumbered section 1006 and is classified to section 396 of this title.
Amendments
2019—Subsec. (d)(3)(A)(ii). Pub. L. 116–94, § 603(a)(1), substituted “21 years” for “18 years”. Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 116–94, § 603(a)(2), added par. (5).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Regulations
Pub. L. 116–94, div. N, title I, § 603(b), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3123, provided that: “(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 2019], the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘Secretary’) shall publish in the Federal Register a final rule to update the
Regulations
issued under chapter IX of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 387 et seq.) as appropriate, only to carry out the
Amendments
made by subsection (a) [amending this section], including to update all references to persons younger than 18 years of age in subpart B of part 1140 of title 21, Code of Federal
Regulations
, and to update the relevant age verification requirements under such part 1140 to require age verification for individuals under the age of 30. Such final rule shall—“(A) take full effect not later than 90 days after the date on which such final rule is published; and “(B) be deemed to be in compliance with all applicable provisions of chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code[,] and all other provisions of law relating to rulemaking procedures. “(2) Other
Regulations
.—Prior to making
Amendments
to part 1140 of title 21, Code of Federal
Regulations
[,] other than the
Amendments
described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall promulgate a proposed rule in accordance with chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code.” Modification of Deadlines for Secretarial ActionWith respect to any time periods specified in an amendment by div. A of Pub. L. 111–31 that begin on June 22, 2009, within which the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to carry out and complete specified activities, with certain limitations, the calculation of such time periods shall commence on the first day of the first fiscal quarter following the initial 2 consecutive fiscal quarters of fiscal year 2010 for which the Secretary has collected fees under section 387s of this title, and the Secretary may extend or reduce the duration of one or more such time periods, except that no such period shall be extended for more than 90 days, see section 6 of Pub. L. 111–31, set out as a note under section 387 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
21 U.S.C. § 387f
Title 21 — Food and Drugs
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73