Amendment #5 to H4479

Vaping Task Force

Representatives Jones of North Reading, Hill of Ipswich, Poirier of North Attleborough, Gifford of Wareham, Frost of Auburn and Smola of Warren move to amend the bill by inserting at the end thereof the following new section:-

“SECTION XX. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a task force established to study and provide recommendations regarding the vaping industry.

The task force shall examine the use of vapes, juuls, and other e-cigarettes, particularly among teens and young adults, and investigate how minors are achieving access to such devices. The task force shall also study the potential negative health effects of using different e-cigarette devices. The study shall include, but not be limited to, considering ways to regulate the vaping industry, identifying opportunities to educate students on the dangers of e-cigarettes and related devices in comparison to regular cigarettes, and developing best practices for restricting the use of e-cigarette devices in and near schools.

The task force shall consist of 15 members, including the house and senate chairs on the joint committee of public health, who shall be the co-chairs; the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee; the president of the senate or a designee; the house minority leader or a designee; the senate minority leader or a designee; the commissioner of the department of public health or a designee; and 8 members to be appointed by the governor; provided that, one shall have experience as a school resource officer, one shall be from the Massachusetts Cancer Action Center, two shall be school administrators, two shall be representatives from the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, and two shall be representatives from the tobacco or vaping industry.

The task force shall submit its report and findings, along with any recommendations, to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on public health, and the clerks of the house of representatives and senate no later than January 1, 2019.”