Due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, the Mississippi Legislature suspended its 2020 legislative session on March 18, with House Concurrent Resolution 65 adjourning lawmakers temporarily until April 1. The adjournment was delayed indefinitely in late March.
Though lawmakers are not meeting, legislation still remains. Below are current House and Senate bills that tax and regulate cigarettes, tobacco and vapor products.
HB 249: Tobacco; increase excise tax on all products except cigarettes; o Increases tax on cigars, cheroots, stogies, snuff, chewing and smoking tobacco and all other tobacco products except cigarettes from 15% to 22.5% of the manufacturer’s list price. o Effective July 1, 2020 o Status: Referred to House Ways and Means (1/27/20)
HB 1407: Alternative nicotine products; regulate o Revises code to define e-cigarettes as tobacco products for purposes to include vapor products in tobacco tax law o Tobacco 21 o Third-party age verification for internet sales o Status: Transmitted to the Senate (3/12/20)
HB 1486: Tobacco products; prohibit wholesales from directly selling the products to retailers o Status: Transmitted to the Senate (3/11/20)
SB 2799: Alternative nicotine products; impose a tax upon and regulate under the Tobacco Tax Law o Regulation; permit; Tobacco 21 o Tax amended out o Status: Failed in Senate (3/12/20); Motion to Reconsider entered
SB 2893: Cigarettes; increase excise tax on o Increases tax on cigarettes from 3.4 cents to 8.4 cents on each cigarette sold ( from $0.68 to $1.68 per pack) o Status: Referred to Senate Finance (2/28/20)
SB 2896: Tobacco tax; define tobacco products to include electronic smoking devices for purposes of 15% excise tax o Status: Referred to Senate Finance (2/28/20)
You can read more information on tobacco and vapor products in Mississippi at Tobacco Harm Reduction 101's Mississippi page.