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S 1567

Requires police officers to attend annual diversity training seminars

2025 Regular Session Introduced by George Borrello and 1 co-sponsor

Limit tobacco sales to adult-only tobacco stores or smoking bars; prohibit other retailers from selling to consumers, aiming to curb youth access while allowing stricter rules.

REFERRED TO FINANCE
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Bill Summary · S 1567

Summary — S 1567 (Jobs and Opportunity with Benefits and Services (JOBS) for Success Act of 2025)

Short title presented in the text: "An Act to protect youth from the harms of tobacco and e‑cigarette products."

Main purpose

S 1567 restricts where tobacco products may be sold in the Commonwealth by limiting retail sales to specially designated adult‑only retail tobacco stores and licensed smoking bars. The stated intent is to reduce youth access to tobacco and e‑cigarette products.

Key provisions

  • Section 1 — New definition added to G.L. c.270, §6(a):
    • Defines “Adult‑Only Retail Tobacco Store” as an establishment whose primary purpose is retail sales (not resale) of tobacco products and paraphernalia, where:
    • the sale of other products/services is incidental;
    • persons under the minimum legal sales age are prohibited from entering at all times;
    • the establishment maintains all required municipal and state permits (and is not required to hold a retail food permit).
  • Section 2 — New subsection (f) added to G.L. c.270, §6:
    • Prohibits any manufacturer or retailer from selling or distributing a tobacco product to a consumer except when the sale occurs in:
    • an adult‑only retail tobacco store as defined above; or
    • a smoking bar (as defined in G.L. c.270, §22).
  • Section 3 — Preemption clause:
    • Affirms the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions may adopt and enforce stricter regulations governing sale/distribution of tobacco products or smoking bars (i.e., this law does not preempt stricter local or state rules).

Who is affected

  • Retailers and manufacturers: Convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, and other general retailers would generally be prohibited from selling tobacco products to consumers unless they operate as an adult‑only retail tobacco store or a smoking bar.
  • Adult‑only tobacco stores and smoking bars: Would be the primary legal venues for consumer tobacco sales; they must comply with permitting and age‑restriction requirements.
  • Consumers: Limits points of retail access to tobacco products; entry to adult‑only stores is restricted by age.
  • Municipalities and regulators: Enforcement responsibilities and permitting oversight; localities may impose stricter rules.

Procedural status and timeline (as provided)

  • Filed (Senate docket): 01/15/2025.
  • Introduced in Senate / Read twice and referred to Committee on Finance: 05/01/2025.
  • Hearing(s) scheduled/rescheduled for 07/14/2025 (multiple time updates indicated).
  • Current status in the provided record: REFERRED TO FINANCE.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Public health: By concentrating sales in age‑restricted venues, the bill aims to reduce youth access and exposure to tobacco products.
  • Economic/regulatory: Many existing retailers would lose a product line unless they convert to an adult‑only model and obtain permits; enforcement and compliance costs may increase for state and local authorities.
  • Legal/administrative: The bill references the "minimum legal sales age" but does not change that age; it relies on existing age-of-sale rules and on definitions (e.g., “smoking bar”) elsewhere in statute.

Note: The bill text provided focuses on retail location restrictions and definitions; it does not, within the supplied sections, explicitly change the minimum legal sales age or detailing enforcement mechanisms (penalties, inspection authority, licensing processes) beyond permit requirements.

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

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