# Virginia HB1946: Retail tobacco and hemp products; smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age, prohibitions. Virginia HB1946, Retail tobacco and hemp products; smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age, prohibitions., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Patrick A. Hope (Democratic); status failed, last action 2025-03-24 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0595)) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1946-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB1946 - State: Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Retail tobacco and hemp products; smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age, prohibitions. - Status: failed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-06 - Last action: 2025-03-24, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0595) - Sponsor: Patrick A. Hope (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 12 (413 yes, 106 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary Possession, etc., of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking by a person younger than 21 years of age; liquid nicotine and nicotine vapor products license; prohibitions; enforcement. Prohibits any person younger than 21 years of age from possessing any retail tobacco or hemp product intended for smoking, as those terms are defined in relevant law, with certain exceptions enumerated in the bill. The bill provides that any such product purchased or possessed by a person younger than 21 years of age (i) shall be deemed contraband and (ii) may be seized by a law-enforcement officer. Any such product, the lawful possession of which is not established, seized by such officer shall be forfeited and disposed of according to the process described in relevant law. The bill also provides that seizure shall be the sole penalty for a violation of such prohibition and that the provisions of the bill shall not preclude prosecution under any other statute. Further, if a person does not receive a license from the Department of Taxation to sell, deal, transport, or ship liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products to retailers in the Commonwealth, such person is subject to a penalty of $400, in addition to any other applicable taxes or fees. The bill provides that the Department of Taxation is not required pursuant to relevant law to conduct unannounced investigations of retail tobacco dealers at least once every 24 months to verify that a retail dealer is not selling retail tobacco products to persons younger than 21 years of age. Lastly, the bill requires the Department of Taxation to convene a work group consisting of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, the Office of the Attorney General, the Virginia State Police, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services to develop an enforcement program related to the sale of retail tobacco products or hemp products intended for smoking to individuals younger than 21 years of age. The work group's findings and recommendations are to be reported to the Chairs of the House Committees on General Laws and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Rehabilitation and Social Services and Finance and Appropriations no later than November 1, 2025. This bill is identical to SB 1060. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Patrick A. Hope (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-02-21 | Senate | Conference report agreed to by Senate | pass | 36 | 2 | | | 2025-02-21 | House | Conference report agreed to by House | pass | 82 | 8 | | | 2025-02-12 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute | pass | 38 | 1 | | | 2025-02-12 | Senate | Senate insisted on substitute | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2025-02-12 | House | Senate substitute rejected by House | fail | 5 | 87 | | | 2025-02-11 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2025-02-11 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute | pass | 14 | 1 | | | 2025-02-10 | Senate | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 15 | 0 | | | 2025-02-04 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 91 | 7 | | | 2025-01-31 | House | Reported from Appropriations with substitute | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2025-01-24 | House | Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and referred to Appropriations | pass | 22 | 0 | | | 2025-01-17 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referred to Appropriations | pass | 8 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (55) - 2025-03-24: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0595) (Governor) - 2025-03-24: Approved by Governor-Chapter 595 (Effective 07/01/25) (Governor) - 2025-03-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1946) (House) - 2025-03-11: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor) - 2025-03-11: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025 (House) - 2025-03-10: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1946ER) (House) - 2025-03-07: Enrolled (House) - 2025-03-07: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-02-24: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1946) (House) - 2025-02-21: Conference report agreed to by Senate (36-Y 2-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-21: Conference report agreed to by House (82-Y 8-N) (House) - 2025-02-20: Conference substitute printed 25107841D-H3 (House) - 2025-02-20: Amended by conference committee - 2025-02-12: Senate insisted on substitute (40-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Passed Senate with substitute (38-Y 1-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Senators: Ebbin, Salim, Peake (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Conferees appointed by Senate (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Delegates: Hope, Seibold, Austin (House) - 2025-02-12: Conferees appointed by House (House) - 2025-02-12: House acceded to request (House) - 2025-02-12: Senate requested conference committee (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Senate substitute rejected by House (5-Y 87-N) (House) - 2025-02-12: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Reading of substitute waived (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Courts of Justice Substitute rejected (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Read third time (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Committee substitute printed 25107214D-S2 (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (14-Y 1-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1946) (House) - 2025-02-10: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Committee substitute printed 25107102D-S1 (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Read third time and passed House (91-Y 7-N) (House) - 2025-02-04: Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar (House) - 2025-02-03: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House) - 2025-02-03: Appropriations Substitute agreed to (House) - 2025-02-03: Courts of Justice Substitute rejected (House) - 2025-02-03: Read second time (House) - 2025-02-02: Read first time (House) - 2025-01-31: Committee substitute printed 25106267D-H2 (House) - 2025-01-31: Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-01-30: Assigned Approps sub: Transportation & Public Safety (House) - 2025-01-24: Committee substitute printed 25105218D-H1 (House) - 2025-01-24: Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-01-22: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1946) (House) - 2025-01-17: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referred to Appropriations (8-Y 0-N) (House) - 2025-01-16: Assigned Courts sub: Criminal (House) - 2025-01-06: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice (House) - 2025-01-06: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-13-2025 25104395D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2025-03-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1078068.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1078067.PDF) - Enrolled, 2025-03-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068837.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068836.PDF) - Conference Report, 2025-02-20: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064872.HTML) - Substitute, 2025-02-20: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064899.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064898.PDF) - Substitute, 2025-02-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046911.HTML), [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046202.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046910.PDF), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046201.PDF) - Substitute, 2025-02-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045983.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045982.PDF) - Substitute, 2025-01-31: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1037842.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1037841.PDF) - Substitute, 2025-01-24: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1022582.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1022581.PDF) - Introduced, 2025-01-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014146.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014145.PDF) ## Related bills - HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted) - SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed) - HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed) - HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed) - SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed) - HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor) ## Sources - [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1078068.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1078067.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068837.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1068836.PDF) - [Conference Report (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064872.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064899.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064898.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046911.HTML) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046202.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046910.PDF) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1046201.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045983.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1045982.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1037842.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1037841.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1022582.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1022581.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014146.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1014145.PDF) ## Related - [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025) - [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025) - [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025) - [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025) - [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025) - [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025) - [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills) - [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1946-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).