# Maine LD 1938: An Act Regarding the Regulation of Tobacco Maine LD 1938, An Act Regarding the Regulation of Tobacco, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Matt Moonen (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-06-18 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 367); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1938-132 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 1938 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act Regarding the Regulation of Tobacco - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-05-06 - Last action: 2025-06-18, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 367 - Sponsor: Matt Moonen (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 4 - Subjects: MISCELLANEOUS TAXES, MISCELLANEOUS TAXES - TOBACCO PRODUCTS TAX - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Older cigarette stock must be stamped: cost, low. Beginning January 5, 2026, all cigarette packs held for resale on September 19, 2005 must have Maine tax stamps. Holders of those packs are liable for the difference between the current tax (100 mills per cigarette) and the pre‑September 19, 2005 tax (50 mills). The old vending‑machine exception is… - Stricter age checks, no free tobacco: mixed, medium. Beginning January 5, 2026, retailers and distributors may not sell, give, or offer tobacco to anyone under 21, except people who were already 18 on July 1, 2018. Sellers must check a photo ID with date of birth for anyone who appears under 30. If a buyer shows a fake ID and the seller reasonably re… - Lower wholesale markup, higher fines: mixed, medium. Beginning January 5, 2026, the 2% statutory markup no longer applies when a distributor sells cigarettes to a licensed wholesale dealer; only the trade discount applies. Importing or selling cigarettes at wholesale without a distributor license is a civil violation. Fines are $500–$1,000 for a firs… - No vending machines, stricter licenses: mixed, medium. Beginning January 5, 2026, the state does not issue licenses that allow tobacco sales by vending machine. Vending machines no longer count as a place of business. A business needs a separate retail tobacco license, and fee, for each location. Seasonal mobile vendors can use one annual license, but… - Broader vaping and smoking rules: mixed, low. Beginning January 5, 2026, the law expands what counts as smoking to include electronic smoking devices and heated tobacco or plant products. It also broadens the definition of electronic smoking device by removing “to simulate smoking,” so more devices are covered under health and tax laws. Severa… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Matt Moonen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Amy Kuhn (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Anne Graham (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Henry L. Ingwersen (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Michele Meyer (Democratic), House ## Actions (7) - 2025-06-18: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 367 - 2025-06-16: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-16: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-13: On motion by Senator INGWERSEN of York Report READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-676) READ and ADOPTED, in concurrence.Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-676), in concurrence.Ordered sent down forthwith. (Senate) - 2025-06-13: Reports READ.On motion of Representative MEYER of Eliot, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-676) was READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-676). Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-05-06: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES in concurrence (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-676), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1297&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1297&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1297&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (H-676), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1297&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1297&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1297&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1938-132 (as of 2026-10-17).