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Alaska2026Passed Legislature

HB49

Alaska Bill Raising Tobacco Age to 21 and Updating E-Cig Rules

Last scannedSep 12, 2026, 4:46 AM

In one sentence

This law raises the minimum age for buying, exchanging, or possessing tobacco and nicotine products in Alaska from 19 to 21 years old.

What it does

  • Raises the legal age to buy, exchange, or possess tobacco, electronic smoking products, and products containing nicotine to 21 years old.
  • Makes it illegal for businesses with a specific license endorsement to allow workers under 19 to sell these items.
  • Allows vending machines in licensed bars, clubs, or package stores if they are supervised by an employee and placed as far from the entrance as possible.
  • Sets a fine of up to $150 for people under 21 caught possessing tobacco products, with courts allowed to refer them to education programs instead of imposing fines.
  • Creates exceptions allowing possession or sale of nicotine products approved by federal health officials if prescribed by a doctor, given by parents, provided by state cessation programs, or sold by pharmacists without prescriptions.

Who it affects

  • People in Alaska who want to buy, sell, exchange, or possess tobacco and electronic smoking products.
  • Businesses that hold licenses to sell cigarettes, cigars, vaping items, or other nicotine products.
  • Workers under the age of 19 employed at stores selling these products.

Limits and unknowns

  • The official text provided does not state the specific date when these new rules will officially begin.
  • While the bill title mentions taxation of electronic smoking products, the provided text excerpts do not include details on tax amounts or collection methods.

Plain language

Terms to know

Electronic smoking product
Devices like e-cigarettes that heat liquid to create vapor containing nicotine, as defined in this law.
Affirmative defense
A legal argument a person can use in court to prove they did not break the possession rule if their product was FDA-approved and obtained through specific channels like doctors or parents.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official summary

TOBACCO/NICOTINE/E-CIG AGE; E-CIG TAX An Act relating to tobacco, tobacco products, electronic smoking products, nicotine, and products containing nicotine; raising the minimum age to purchase, exchange, or possess tobacco, a product containing nicotine, or an electronic smoking product; relating to the tobacco use education and cessation fund; relating to the taxation of electronic smoking products and vapor products; and providing for an effective date.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (H) COSPONSOR(S): CARRICK2425
  2. (H) Minutes (HFIN)Min
  3. (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 2:10 pm --Text
  4. (H) FINANCE at 01:30 PM ADAMS 519Text
  5. (H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN255
  6. (H) REFERRED TO FINANCE208
  7. (H) FN8: ZERO(AJS)208
  8. (H) FN7: (REV)208
  9. (H) FN6: ZERO(DPS)208
  10. (H) FN5: ZERO(LAW)208
  11. (H) FN4: ZERO(DOH)208
  12. (H) FN3: ZERO(CED)208
  13. (H) FN2: ZERO(ADM)208
  14. (H) FN1: ZERO(ADM)208
  15. (H) NR: NELSON208
  16. (H) DNP: COULOMBE208
  17. (H) DP: CARRICK, BURKE, FIELDS, HALL208
  18. (H) L&C RPT CS(L&C) 4DP 1DNP 1NR208
  19. (H) Minutes (HL&C)Min
  20. (H) Moved CSHB 49(L&C) Out of CommitteeText