Just prior to the IPCPR trade show in New Orleans a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would bring an end to cigars shipped via the United States Postal Service and would add various other requirements to other methods of shipping.
The bill H.R. 3042, dubbed “Stop Tobacco Sales to Youth Act of 2015,” was introduced by two democrats from Connecticut; Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro and Elizabeth Etsy and seeks to change the language of the Jenkins Act.
Current federal law requires those who buy cigarettes, rolling tobacco, chewing tobacco or snuff to provide proof of age at the time of sale, and upon delivery. The bill would add cigars to the list and would require age verification at the time of purchase and upon receipt at delivery. It would also ban the shipping of cigars via the USPS.
So far support for the bill is along party lines as four other cosponsors have supported the bill. They are John Garamendi (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Charles Rangel (D-NY).
The bill is currently in the House Committee on the Judiciary
