Signed by Governor Chris Gregoire

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that authorizes a tax increase on tobacco products to fund basic health care services.

Highlights:

-Authorizes a tax of 12.125 cents per cigarette (Sec. 2). -Expands the meaning of "tobacco products" to include any other product, regardless of form, that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption or placement in the oral or nasal cavity or absorption into the human body but does not include cigarettes (Sec. 4). -Defines "moist snuff" as tobacco that is finely cut, ground or powdered; is not for smoking; and is intended to be placed in the oral, but not the nasal cavity (Sec. 4). -Defines "little cigar" as a cigar that has a cellulose acetate integrated filter (Sec. 4). -Authorizes taxes on tobacco products according, but not limited to, the following rates (Sec. 5):

-For cigars except little cigars, 95 percent of the taxable sales price of cigars, not to exceed 65 cents per cigar; -95 percent of taxable sales price for any tobacco products unless they are covered under a separate provision; -For little cigars the rate is equal to the cigarette tax; and -For moist snuff, any single unit with a net weight of 1.2 ounces or less the rate is 2.526 dollars or 83.5 percent of the cigarette tax and for any single unit with a net weight of more than 1.2 ounces the proportional rate is established.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes a tax increase on tobacco products to fund basic health care services.

Highlights:

-Authorizes a tax of 12.125 cents per cigarette (Sec. 2). -Expands the meaning of "tobacco products" to include any other product, regardless of form, that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption or placement in the oral or nasal cavity or absorption into the human body but does not include cigarettes (Sec. 4). -Defines "moist snuff" as tobacco that is finely cut, ground or powdered; is not for smoking; and is intended to be placed in the oral, but not the nasal cavity (Sec. 4). -Defines "little cigar" as a cigar that has a cellulose acetate integrated filter (Sec. 4). -Authorizes taxes on tobacco products according, but not limited to, the following rates (Sec. 5):

-For cigars except little cigars, 95 percent of the taxable sales price of cigars, not to exceed 65 cents per cigar; -95 percent of taxable sales price for any tobacco products unless they are covered under a separate provision; -For little cigars the rate is equal to the cigarette tax; and -For moist snuff, any single unit with a net weight of 1.2 ounces or less the rate is 2.526 dollars or 83.5 percent of the cigarette tax and for any single unit with a net weight of more than 1.2 ounces the proportional rate is established.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes a tax increase on tobacco products to fund basic health care services.

Full Bill Text