Bill > S270

This bill provides specific regulations for the sale of shisha tobacco products by hookah tobacco retailers in Massachusetts, creating exceptions to previous tobacco sales restrictions from Chapter 133 of the 2019 Acts. The bill first defines key terms like "hookah" (a water pipe used to smoke tobacco) and "shisha tobacco product" (tobacco smoked in a hookah). To be exempt from previous sales restrictions, hookah tobacco retailers must meet six specific conditions: maintain a valid tobacco sales license, prohibit sales to anyone under 21, keep products in a locked case accessible only to personnel over 21, request valid government-issued identification for every transaction, record each transaction as directed by the Department of Public Health, and comply with all state and federal tobacco sales laws. Retailers who violate these requirements will be subject to a $500 fine per violation, and the Department of Public Health is tasked with creating implementation rules and regulations. The overall aim appears to be creating a controlled, age-restricted framework for hookah tobacco sales while providing some flexibility for specialized retailers.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S270