HB 4966 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Increase the penalty for adults who buy vapes and cartiges for underage children

HB 4966 increases penalties for adults who purchase tobacco products (including vapes and cartridges) for minors under 21. It directly affects adults who buy these products for underage children, not the minors themselves. The bill imposes a $500 fine for a first offense, with higher fines ($1,500-$5,000) for repeat violations within specific timeframes, and allows for jail time (up to 60 days) for third offenses. Retail employees who violate the law face non-criminal penalties like education programs instead of fines, while employers may terminate employees who sell to minors after prior written warnings.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 29, 2026 Last action Jan 29, 2026
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Jan 29, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors