HB 577 — Vapor Products: Create the Georgia Nicotine Vapor Products Directory

House Bill 577, also known as, the Georgia Nicotine Vapor Products Directory Act would authorize the Department of Revenue (DOR) to create a directory listing of all nicotine vapor products, as submitted in a certification by the vapor product manufacturer. The bill requires DOR to have the directory available on their website within 14 months of the bill's effective date. Nicotine vapor products not listed on the directory will not be sold in Georgia except for those that were already in a vapor product dealer's inventory prior to the directory being made public on DOR's website. For the aforementioned products, vapor product dealer's will have six months after the directory is publicly available to sell the nicotine vapor products in their inventory that are not included in the directory. If a nicotine vapor product is removed from the directory, vapor product dealers will have 30 days to either sell the remaining inventory of that product or remove it from the overall inventory.

Vapor product manufacturers will be required to submit certifications for their vapor products to DOR for the directory 12 months after the bill's effective date and annually thereafter. Vapor product manufacturers must pay $1,000 per vapor product for the first time a certification is submitted and $250 annually per nicotine vapor product thereafter.

The bill also authorizes DOR to conduct unannounced compliance checks on vapor product dealers. The bill also lists penalties for vapor product dealers found with nicotine vapor products not included in the directory. The bill requires the commissioner of DOR to provide an annual report to the General Assembly on the status of the directory. The bill will become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated in the Appropriations Act for the bill's specified purpose.