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LD 1938

An Act Regarding The Regulation Of Tobacco

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Annie Graham and 4 co-sponsors

LD 1938 tightens Maine tobacco regulation, adds enforcement fines, and yields minor revenue gains for the General Fund and other state accounts.

Signed by Governor
#increased #miscellaneoustaxes #tobaccoproductstax
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Bill Summary · LD 1938

Summary — LD 1938: "An Act Regarding The Regulation of Tobacco"

Status: Signed by Governor (June 18, 2025)
Introduced: May 6, 2025
Committee: Health and Human Services
Committee Amendment: C "A" (H-676) — adopted
Classification/Subject tags: Tobacco products tax; increased/miscellaneous taxes

Purpose / Intent

LD 1938 is legislation enacted to modify the regulation of tobacco in Maine. Based on the bill title, classification metadata and the legislative record, the bill addresses regulatory measures related to tobacco products and includes provisions that affect tax or fee structures and enforcement (including fines). The precise statutory changes are contained in the bill text and Committee Amendment H‑676 (amendment adopted during floor action).

Key confirmed provisions (from available documents)

  • The bill concerns regulation of tobacco products and is tied to taxation/enforcement of tobacco products (classification includes "Tobacco products tax").
  • Committee Amendment H‑676 was adopted; the House and Senate passed the bill as amended.
  • The bill includes or enables penalties/fines tied to enforcement — fiscal notes explicitly reference increased collections from fines.
  • No specific dollar amounts are provided in the available fiscal notes.

Note: The full text of LD 1938 (and H‑676) is required to list specific statutory changes (e.g., age limits, tax rate changes, packaging or sales restrictions, licensing changes). That text was not provided with the materials supplied here.

Fiscal impact

  • Fiscal notes (approved 05/31/25 and 06/13/25) report:
    • Minor revenue increase to the General Fund.
    • Minor revenue increase to Other Special Revenue Funds.
    • Collection of fines will increase General Fund or other dedicated revenue by minor amounts.
  • No major net cost or large revenue estimates are reported; impacts are characterized as "minor."

Who would be affected

  • Tobacco retailers and wholesalers (if licensing, tax, or sale rules changed).
  • Consumers of tobacco products (if taxes or prices are changed).
  • State government finance: small increases to General Fund and special revenue funds from fines and any tax/fee adjustments.
  • Courts/correctional system: fiscal notes mention fines, implying minor impacts for judicial/correctional collections.

Legislative timeline / procedural history

  • 05/06/2025: Introduced and referred to Health and Human Services Committee.
  • 05/22/2025: Work session; committee produced a divided report.
  • 06/12–06/13/2025: Committee report (OTP‑AM) accepted; Committee Amendment H‑676 read and adopted; bill passed (engrossed as amended).
  • 06/16/2025: Passed to be enacted; sent for concurrence.
  • 06/18/2025: Signed by Governor; enrolled as law.

Limitations and recommended next steps

  • The supplied materials do not include the enacted bill text or the language of Committee Amendment H‑676. For a complete understanding of the specific regulatory, tax, licensing, penalty, or compliance changes, consult:
    • The official enacted bill text for LD 1938 (as engrossed with C "A" H‑676) on the Maine Legislature website, and
    • The enacted statute citation(s) once incorporated into the Maine Revised Statutes.
  • If you want, I can retrieve and summarize the exact statutory changes (tax rates, licensing requirements, prohibited practices, effective dates, penalties) once the bill text or statute citation is provided.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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