H2419 • 2025

An Act relative to local boards of health and the sale of legal tobacco products in the Commonwealth

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Paul K. Frost
Last action: 2026-03-16
Official status: Accompanied a study order, see H5234
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to local boards of health and the sale of legal tobacco products in the Commonwealth

An Act relative to local boards of health and the sale of legal tobacco products in the Commonwealth By Representative Frost of Auburn, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act relative to local boards of health and the sale of legal tobacco products in the Commonwealth By Representative Frost of Auburn, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
2419) of Paul K.
Frost and Joseph D.
McKenna for legislation to prohibit local boards of health from banning the sale of tobacco products sold legally in the Commonwealth.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-16 House
Accompanied a study order, see H5234
2025-07-14 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 07/14/2025 from 01:00 PM-06:45 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2025-07-14 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 07/14/2025 from 01:00 PM-06:05 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2025-07-03 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 07/14/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on Public Health
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to local boards of health and the sale of legal tobacco products in the Commonwealth
By Representative Frost of Auburn, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2419) of Paul K. Frost and Joseph D. McKenna for legislation to prohibit local boards of health from banning the sale of tobacco products sold legally in the Commonwealth. Public Health.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.2419

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, Boards of Health in cities and towns shall not have the power to ban the community-wide sale of legal tobacco products by authorized stores, establishments and any other entities legally allowed to sell tobacco in the Commonwealth and within the existing by-laws of the community, wholesale or retail, without receiving the approval of town meeting or city council to create such a by-law within the city or town.

This provision shall not interfere with a Board of Health’s ability to take action for an emergency and immediate health concern for a certain brand of the tobacco product or from a specific location if a health code violation has otherwise occurred or some other emergency health issue should arise so long as such action is not to ban the legal sale for the sake of doing so.

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