HB 2439 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Enhancing public health by modifying cigarette, vapor product, and tobacco product policy.

HB 2439 creates a voluntary "Responsible Vendor Program" for retailers selling cigarettes, vapor products, and tobacco products in Washington. The program requires participating businesses to provide employee training, verify customer IDs, adopt sales policies, post signage, and maintain records to prevent sales to underage customers. Businesses that join and follow all requirements receive a 50% reduction in penalties for single violations within a 12-month period. The bill directly affects retailers and distributors by modifying licensing rules and enforcement procedures under Washington law.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 13, 2026 Last action Feb 5, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add a committee and reading date, clarify the responsible vendor program section references, and introduce an effective date of January 1, 2027, for new manufacturer certification and bond requirements. The vapor product extended producer responsibility study was expanded to include alternative policy options and its deadline was extended to May 2028. Age verification rules now mandate the use of digital devices or applications to verify a purchaser's age. Coupon restrictions were tightened to ban free distribution of tobacco products entirely, while allowing discounts on vapor products only in retail settings. Additionally, the bill renumbered several sections and removed local preemption provisions that previously allowed cities to regulate tobacco sales.

Scope change

The bill's scope was clarified by adding a committee attribution and expanding the study on vapor product recycling to include non-extended producer responsibility options. Applicability was modified by adding a specific effective date for new manufacturer regulations and tightening coupon restrictions to apply differently to tobacco versus vapor products.

TIMELINE

Added an effective date of January 1, 2027, for new manufacturer certification and bond requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Mandated the use of digital devices or applications to verify a purchaser's age during tobacco and vapor product sales.

Expanded the vapor product extended producer responsibility study to examine alternative policy options and extended the reporting deadline to May 1, 2028.

Prohibited giving or distributing free coupons for cigarettes and tobacco products entirely, while allowing discounts on vapor products only in retail transactions.

Removed local preemption provisions that previously allowed political subdivisions to regulate tobacco and vapor product promotions and sales.

TECHNICAL

Renumbered sections and updated references to align with the bill's progression from House Bill to Substitute Bill.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Business at 8:00 AM.

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Business at 1:30 PM.

lower

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors