Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3942, the Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act.

This bill can be summarized in this way: If minors can't buy e- cigarettes in a store, they shouldn't be able to buy e-cigarettes online.

Today, anyone who purchases alcohol or tobacco at a brick-and-mortar retail store is subject to age verification requirements. Online retailers of alcohol must also verify a purchaser's age to ensure the sales comply with State and Federal law. However, online retailers of e-cigarettes are exempted from verifying the age of their customers.

When the PACT Act was passed in 2010, it did a great job of curbing youth smoking. Unfortunately, e-cigarettes were not in existence yet.

This loophole exists at a time when youth vaping is at epidemic levels. Today, one in five high school students is using e-cigarettes. Kids can have e-cigarettes delivered right to their door without requiring an adult signature.

Teen vaping rates have doubled since 2017, and over 3 million minors used e-cigarettes last year. The lack of age verification requirements is hurting kids.

The Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act would require age verification upon delivery of online purchases of e- cigarettes and other vapor products. It closes the online delivery loophole and will prevent the underage purchase of e-cigarettes online.

This bill has a broad coalition of support.

I thank Representative Rosa DeLauro for her partnership on this legislation to protect the next generation, as well as House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins.

This bill also has bipartisan support in the Senate, with Senators Dianne Feinstein, John Cornyn, and Chris Van Hollen all on board.

Patient advocacy organizations like the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the American Lung Association also support this legislation.

Business and trade associations like the National Association of Convenience Stores, the Petroleum Marketer Association of America, and the Convenience Distribution Association all also support this bill.
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Mr. ARMSTRONG. Mr. Speaker, I have a 12-year-old daughter; I have a 9-year-old son. There are schools across the country that are removing doors on bathroom stalls and banning hoodies. Teen vaping and youth vaping is a real issue. This bill is a small step forward to start canceling that.

At its simplest, this bill works to modernize Federal law to treat e- cigarettes the same as any other nicotine product, and that is a good thing.

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