Bill > SB211

This bill modifies Wisconsin's public smoking ban by creating a new exemption for certain tobacco bars that meet specific criteria. Under the proposed legislation, a tobacco bar can be exempt from the indoor smoking prohibition if it was established on or after June 4, 2009, only allows smoking of cigars and pipes, and is not classified as a retail food establishment. This exemption differs from the existing law, which already allows tobacco bars that were in operation before June 3, 2009, to permit indoor smoking. The bill specifically defines a tobacco bar as a tavern that generates at least 15 percent of its annual gross income from the on-premises sale of cigars and pipe tobacco (excluding sales from vending machines). By creating this new category of exemption, the bill provides a pathway for newer tobacco bars to allow indoor smoking under carefully defined circumstances, potentially offering more flexibility for businesses in the tobacco and hospitality industries while maintaining some restrictions on where smoking is permitted.

Business and Industry

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/sen/bill/sb211