SB142 • 2026

Retail tobacco/hemp; sale of products intended for smoking to persons younger than 21 years of age.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-371.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to sale of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking to persons younger than 21 years of age; civil penalty paid to locality.</p>

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: McDougle
Last action: 2026-03-14
Official status: Failed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on enforcement details beyond depositing penalties into local treasuries.

Sale Rules for Tobacco and Hemp to Young People

This law changes where fines are deposited when someone sells tobacco or hemp products intended for smoking to people under 21 years old.

What This Bill Does

Changes the place where civil penalties go from selling tobacco or hemp products meant for smoking to young people under 21.

Who It Names or Affects

People who sell tobacco and hemp products meant for smoking
Local governments where these sales happen

Terms To Know

Civil penalty: A fine given by the government when someone breaks a rule.
Locality: The area or community, like a city or county.

Limits and Unknowns

This law will not take effect unless it is passed again in 2027.
It does not specify what happens to the money after it goes to local governments.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SB142AHC1

2026-02-25 • Committee

Criminal Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement that the bill's new rules about selling tobacco and hemp products to people under 21 years old will only take effect if the same rules are passed again in the next year by the Virginia General Assembly.

Adds a condition that the bill’s provisions must be reenacted by the 2027 Session of the Virginia General Assembly before they can become effective.

The amendment does not specify what happens if the rules are not reenacted in 2027, leaving this detail unclear.

SB142AH1

2026-03-02 • Committee

Courts of Justice Amendment

Adds a condition that the bill’s provisions must be reenacted by the 2027 Session of the Virginia General Assembly for them to become effective.

The amendment does not provide details about what happens if the rules are not reenacted in 2027, or how this affects enforcement and implementation timelines.

SB142EDOC

2026-03-04 • House

House Amendment

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement that the bill's new rules about selling tobacco and hemp products to people under 21 years old will only start if the same rules are passed again in the next year’s meeting of the General Assembly.

Adds a condition that the bill's provisions must be reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly before they can take effect.

The amendment does not specify what happens if the rules are not reenacted in 2027, leaving this detail unclear.

Bill History

2026-03-14 Senate
No further action taken
2026-03-14 Senate
Failed to Pass from conference
2026-03-14 Senate
Failed to Pass from conference
2026-03-12 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-12 House
House Conferees: Hope, Mehta, Pence
2026-03-10 Senate
Senate Conferees: McDougle, Carroll Foy, Salim
2026-03-10 Senate
Conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-10 Senate
Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-09 House
House insisted on amendment
2026-03-09 House
House requested conference committee
2026-03-06 Senate
Courts of Justice Amendment rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)
2026-03-04 House
Read third time
2026-03-04 House
committee amendment agreed to
2026-03-04 House
Engrossed by House as amended
2026-03-04 House
Passed House with amendment Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-04 House
Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
2026-03-04 House
Passed House with amendment Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-03 House
Read second time
2026-03-02 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-25 Criminal
Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (10-Y 0-N)
2026-02-21 Criminal
Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal
2026-02-18 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-18 House
Read first time
2026-02-18 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
2026-02-13 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-13 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-13 Senate
Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-13 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-12 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-12 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-12 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-12 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-11 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-04 Courts of Justice
Reported from Courts of Justice and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
2026-01-07 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100251D
2026-01-07 Courts of Justice
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

Official Summary Text

Sale of retail tobacco products and hemp products intended for smoking to persons younger than 21 years of age; civil penalty paid to locality.
Requires that any civil penalty imposed for selling a retail tobacco product or hemp product intended for smoking to persons younger than 21 years of age be deposited into the local treasury. Under current law, such civil penalty is paid into the state treasury.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

(SB142)

AMENDMENT(S) PROPOSED BY THE HOUSE

COURTS OF JUSTICE

1. After line 94, engrossed

insert

2. That the provisions of this act shall not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.