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sSB228 / File No. 172 1
General Assembly File No. 172
February Session, 2026 Substitute Senate Bill No. 228
Senate, March 25, 2026
The Committee on General Law reported through SEN.
MARONEY of the 14th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on
the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING LIQUOR PERMITS AND TOBACCO BARS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (k) of section 30 -22a of the 2026 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 3
(k) For purposes of compliance with this section, "cafe" includes a 4
tobacco bar that: (1) During the calendar year ending December 31, 2002, 5
generated at least ten per cent of the tobacco bar's total annual gross 6
income from on -site sales of tobacco products and rentals of on -site 7
humidors; or (2) commenced operations during the period beginning 8
January 1, 2003, and ending December 31, [2022] 2025, and (A) generates 9
at least sixty per cent of the tobacco bar's total annual gross sales from 10
on-site sales of tobacco products, as defined in subparagraph (E) of 11
subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 19a -342, as amended by this 12
act, and subparagraph (F) of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 13
19a-342a, as amended by this act , as determined in an annual audit 14
conducted by an independent certified public accountant, (B) is located 15
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in a municipality that has a population of at least [eighty] forty thousand 16
and does not contain another tobacco bar, (C) does not allow cigarettes 17
or cigarette tobacco on the premises, (D) contains a walk-in or stand-up 18
humidor as a built-in feature on the premises, (E) is located in a building 19
(i) in which no other owner -occupant, lessee or tenant has a right to 20
utilize the same space as the tobacco bar, or (ii) that uses the tobacco 21
bar's own heating, ventilation or air conditioning system to prevent 22
commingling of air, (F) is located in premises equipped with a 23
ventilation system that (i) provides local mechanical exhaust with no 24
recirculation, (ii) circulates at least sixty cubic feet of outdoor air per 25
person per minute to provide adequate indoor air quality, and (iii) 26
satisfies the requirements established in ANSI/ASHRAE 62 -2001, 27
"ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality", as amended from time to 28
time, and (G) provides health coverage to the tobacco bar's employees 29
and their dependents in accordance with other applicable law, 30
including, but not limited to, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 31
Act, P.L. 111 -148, as amended by the Health Care and Education 32
Reconciliation Act, P.L. 111-152, as both may be amended from time to 33
time, and regulations adopted thereunder. 34
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 19a -342 of the general statutes is 35
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 36
1, 2026): 37
(b) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 31 -40q, no person 38
shall smoke: (A) In any area of a building or portion of a building, 39
owned and operated or leased and operated by the state or any political 40
subdivision of the state; (B) in any area of a health care institution, 41
including, but not limited to, a psychiatric facility; (C) in any area of a 42
retail establishment accessed by the general public; (D) in any 43
restaurant; (E) in any area of an establishment with a permit issued for 44
the sale of alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30-20a, 30-21, 30-21b, 30-45
22, 30-22c, 30-22g, 30-28, 30-28a, 30-33a, 30-33b, 30-35a, 30-37a, 30-37e or 46
30-37f, in any area of an establishment with a permit for the sale of 47
alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30 -22aa issued after May 1, 2003, 48
and, on and after April 1, 2004, in any area of an establishment with a 49
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permit issued for the sale of alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30-22a, 50
as amended by this act, or 30-26; (F) in any area of a school building or 51
on the grounds of such school; (G) within a child care facility or on the 52
grounds of such child care facility, except, if the child care facility is a 53
family child care home, as defined in section 19a -77, such smoking is 54
prohibited only when a child enrolled in such home is present during 55
customary business hours; (H) in any passenger elevator; (I) in any area 56
of a dormitory in any public or private institution of higher education; 57
(J) in any area of a facility equipped with screens for the simulcasting of 58
off-track betting race programs or jai alai games; (K) in any room offered 59
as an accommodation to guests by the operator of a hotel, motel or 60
similar lodging; (L) in any area of a correctional facility or halfway 61
house; or (M) in any area of a platform or a shelter at a rail, busway or 62
bus station, owned and operated or leased and operated by the state or 63
any political subdivision of the state. For purposes of this subsection, 64
"restaurant" means space, in a suitable and permanent building, kept, 65
used, maintained, advertised and held out to the public to be a place 66
where meals are regularly served to the public, "school" has the same 67
meaning as provided in section 10-154a and "child care facility" has the 68
same meaning as provided in section 19a-342a, as amended by this act. 69
(2) Subdivision (1) of this subsection shall not apply to the following: 70
(A) Public housing projects, as defined in subsection (b) of section 21a -71
278a; (B) any classroom where demonstration smoking is taking place 72
as part of a medical or scientific experiment or lesson; (C) 73
notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (E) of subdivision (1) 74
of this subsection, the outdoor portion of the premises of any permittee 75
listed in subparagraph (E) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, 76
provided, in the case of any seating area maintained for the service of 77
food, at least seventy-five per cent of the outdoor seating capacity is an 78
area in which smoking is prohibited and which is clearly designated 79
with written signage as a nonsmoking area, except that any temporary 80
seating area established for special events and not used on a regular 81
basis shall not be subject to the smoking prohibition or signage 82
requirements of this subparagraph; (D) any medical research site where 83
smoking is integral to the research being conducted; or (E) any tobacco 84
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bar. For purposes of this subdivision, "outdoor" means an area which 85
has no roof or other ceiling enclosure; "tobacco bar" means an 86
establishment with a permit for the sale of alcoholic liquor to consumers 87
issued pursuant to section 30 -22a, as amended by this act , that, in the 88
calendar year ending December 31, 2002, generated ten per cent or more 89
of its total annual gross income from the on-site sale of tobacco products 90
and the rental of on -site humidors or, for any tobacco bar that 91
commenced operations during the period beginning January 1, 2003, 92
and ending December 31, [2022] 2025, generates at least sixty per cent of 93
the tobacco bar's total annual gross sales from on -site sales of tobacco 94
products, as determined in an annual audit conducted by an 95
independent certified public accountant; and "tobacco product" means 96
cigars and pipe tobacco, and does not include cannabis, cigarettes or 97
chewing tobacco. 98
Sec. 3. Subsection (b) of section 19a -342a of the general statutes is 99
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 100
1, 2026): 101
(b) (1) No person shall use an electronic nicotine or cannabis delivery 102
system or vapor product: (A) In any area of a building or portion of a 103
building owned and operated or leased and operated by the state or any 104
political subdivision of the state; (B) in any area of a health care 105
institution, including, but not limited to, a psychiatric facility; (C) in any 106
area of a retail establishment accessed by the public; (D) in any 107
restaurant; (E) in any area of an establishment with a permit issued for 108
the sale of alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30-20a, 30-21, 30-21b, 30-109
22, 30-22a, as amended by this act , 30-22c, 30-22g, 30-26, 30-28, 30-28a, 110
30-33a, 30 -33b, 30 -35a, 30 -37a, 30 -37e or 30 -37f, in any area of 111
establishment with a permit issued for the sale of alcoholic liquor 112
pursuant to section 30-22aa issued after May 1, 2003; (F) in any area of a 113
school building or on the grounds of such school; (G) within a child care 114
facility or on the grounds of such child care facility, except, if the child 115
care facility is a family child care home as defined in section 19a-77, such 116
use is prohibited only when a child enrolled in such home is present 117
during customary business hours; (H) in any passenger elevator; (I) in 118
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any area of a dormitory in any public or private institution of higher 119
education; (J) in any area of a facility equipped with screens for the 120
simulcasting of off-track betting race programs or jai alai games; (K) in 121
any room offered as an accommodation to guests by the operator of a 122
hotel, motel or similar lodging; (L) in any area of a correctional facility, 123
halfway house or residential facility funded by the Judicial Branch; or 124
(M) in any area of a platform or a shelter at a rail, busway or bus station, 125
owned and operated or leased and operated by the state or any political 126
subdivision of the state. For purposes of this subsection, "restaurant" 127
means space, in a suitable and permanent building, kept, used, 128
maintained, advertised and held out to the public to be a place where 129
meals are regularly served to the public; and "school" has the same 130
meaning as provided in section 10-154a. 131
(2) Subdivision (1) of this subsection shall not apply to the following: 132
(A) Public housing projects, as defined in subsection (b) of section 21a -133
278a; (B) any classroom where a demonstration of the use of an 134
electronic nicotine or cannabis delivery system or vapor product is 135
taking place as part of a medical or scientific experiment or lesson; (C) 136
any medical research site where the use of an electronic nicotine or 137
cannabis delivery system or vapor product is integral to the research 138
being conducted; (D) establishments without a permit for the sale of 139
alcoholic liquor that sell electronic nicotine delivery systems, vapor 140
products or liquid nicotine containers on-site and allow their customers 141
to use such systems, products or containers on-site; (E) notwithstanding 142
the provisions of subparagraph (E) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, 143
the outdoor portion of the premises of any permittee listed in 144
subparagraph (E) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, provided, in the 145
case of any seating area maintained for the service of food, at least 146
seventy-five per cent of the outdoor seating capacity is an area in which 147
smoking is prohibited and which is clearly designated with written 148
signage as a nonsmoking area, except that any temporary seating area 149
established for special events and not used on a regular basis shall not 150
be subject to the prohibition on the use of an electronic nicotine or 151
cannabis delivery system or vapor product or the signage requirements 152
of this subparagraph; or (F) any tobacco bar. For purposes of this 153
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subdivision, "outdoor" means an area which has no roof or other ceiling 154
enclosure; "tobacco bar" means an establishment with a permit for the 155
sale of alcoholic liquor to consumers issued pursuant to section 30 -22a, 156
as amended by this act, that, in the calendar year ending December 31, 157
2002, generated ten per cent or more of its total annual gross income 158
from the on -site sale of tobacco products and the rental of on -site 159
humidors or, for any tobacco bar that commenced operations during the 160
period beginning January 1, 2003, and ending December 31, [2022] 2025, 161
generates at least sixty per cent of the tobacco bar's total annual gross 162
sales from on-site sales of tobacco products, as determined in an annual 163
audit conducted by an independent certified public accountant; and 164
"tobacco product" means cigars and pipe tobacco, and does not include 165
cannabis, cigarettes or chewing tobacco. 166
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2026 30-22a(k)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2026 19a-342(b)
Sec. 3 October 1, 2026 19a-342a(b)
GL Joint Favorable Subst.
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The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Resources of the General Fund GF - Potential
Revenue Gain
See Below See Below
Revenue Serv., Dept. Various -
Potential
Revenue Gain
See Below See Below
Note: GF=General Fund; Various=Various
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill allows for additional tobacco bars in the state resulting in a
potential revenue gain to the state.
Tobacco bars are required to hold an alcoholic liquor café permit
which results in a potential revenue gain to the General Fund to the
extent additional permits are applied for. The alcoholic liquor café
permit has an annual fee of $2,000.
The bill also results in a potential tax revenue gain to the state to the
extent that additional tobacco bars are permitted by the Department of
Consumer Protection (DCP). The actual revenue gain in a given fiscal
year will be dependent upon the number of tobacco bars that DCP may
permit under this bill and the total volume of annual sales from those
establishments.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
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continue into the future subject the number of café permits applied for
and inflation.
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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 228
AN ACT CONCERNING LIQUOR PERMITS AND TOBACCO BARS.
SUMMARY
This bill allows more tobacco bars to permit certain smoking indoors,
including cigars, e -cigarettes, and an electronic cannabis delivery
system, but not cigarettes.
Under current law, tobacco bars may do so if they , among other
requirements, began operating between January 1, 2003, and December
31, 2022, and are located in a municipality with at least 80,000 people
and no other tobacco bar. The bill allows for more tobacco bars to allow
these things by extending the eligible starting operating period to
December 31, 2025, and lowers the population threshold to 40,000.
As under existing law, a tobacco bar must:
1. hold an alcoholic liquor cafe permit;
2. generate at least 60% of their total annual gross sales from
tobacco products (cigars and pipe tobacco) as annually
determined by an independent certified public accountant;
3. not allow cigarettes or cigarette tobacco on the premises;
4. have a walk-in humidor as a built-in feature onsite;
5. be in a building that (a) no other owner -occupant, lessee, or
tenant has a right to possess or (b) uses the tobacco bar’s own
heating, ventilation, or air conditioning system to prevent the
commingling of air;
6. be in premises equipped with a ventilation system that (a)
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provides local mechanical exhaust with no recirculation, (b)
circulates at least 60 cubic feet of outdoor air per person per
minute to provide adequate indoor air quality, and (c) satisfies
the requirements established in ANSI/ASHRAE 62 -2001,
“ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality”; and
7. provide health coverage to the tobacco bar’s employees and their
dependents under the federal Affordable Care Act.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2026
COMMITTEE ACTION
General Law Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 20 Nay 0 (03/11/2026)