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H 8346Public Health

Health and Safety - Department of Health

This bill creates a guaranteed funding stream for the Department of Health to run anti-tobacco education and cessation programs.

Held for study
Population
Affected
45
Email Legislator
Introduced Mar 25, 2026Committee House Health & Human Services

Plain-English Summary

This legislation mandates that the Rhode Island Department of Health establish and maintain a tobacco control program. The program's goals are to prevent tobacco use and help current users quit through evidence-based practices. The Department must track tobacco use rates, run media campaigns to raise awareness, and distribute grants for prevention and enforcement. Starting July 1, 2026, the program receives guaranteed funding—either 5% of state tobacco tax revenues or a minimum of $3.2 million annually (increasing by 5% each year)—to ensure consistent resources for these public health initiatives.

For younger readers

This new law tells the state health department to create a special program to help people stop smoking and to keep kids from ever starting. The state will watch to see how many people are using tobacco and electronic cigarettes. They will use TV and internet ads to teach people about the dangers of smoking. They will also give money to groups that help people quit. To pay for this, the state will use at least $3.2 million every year from the taxes collected on cigarettes. The goal is to make sure fewer people get sick from smoking.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Smokers and tobacco usersYouth and adolescentsDepartment of Health employeesTobacco retailersHealthcare providers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
$2.05
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Invests in public health infrastructure to reduce addiction and preventable diseases, particularly benefiting lower-income communities that are often disproportionately targeted by tobacco marketing.
  • Establishes a guaranteed funding stream derived from tobacco taxes, ensuring that revenue generated from harmful products is reinvested directly into community wellness and prevention efforts.
  • Prioritizes evidence-based education and cessation support over criminalization, focusing on healthcare solutions rather than punitive measures for those struggling with addiction.
  • Relies on revenue from tobacco taxes, which are regressive and disproportionately affect low-income individuals, potentially creating a state budgetary dependency on the very product the program aims to eliminate.
  • Allocates significant financial resources to media campaigns and surveillance which some might argue could be better utilized for direct healthcare services or housing for marginalized groups.
  • Lacks specific language banning the sale of flavored products or menthols, passing up an opportunity for more direct systemic reform against corporate predatory practices.
For Conservatives
  • Focuses on preventing youth initiation of tobacco and e-cigarette use, aiming to protect children from developing lifelong addictions and associated health problems.
  • Utilizes dedicated revenue from specific user fees (tobacco taxes) rather than raising general income or property taxes to fund the program.
  • Includes requirements for annual evaluations and efficacy assessments, ensuring a level of accountability and oversight regarding how taxpayer funds are utilized.
  • Creates a mandatory spending floor that increases automatically by 5% every year, limiting the legislature's fiscal flexibility and locking taxpayers into perpetual spending regardless of economic conditions.
  • Expands the size and scope of the Department of Health bureaucracy, allowing the state to intervene further in private lifestyle choices through government-sponsored behavior modification.
  • Mandates the use of public funds for "surveillance" of citizen behaviors and media campaigns, which may be viewed as a misuse of tax dollars for government propaganda.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 38 additions

SECTION 1. Purpose. To prevent tobacco-related diseases and diminish tobacco use, the department of health shall implement a tobacco control program that incorporates evidence-based best practices for tobacco prevention and cessation.

SECTION 2. Chapter 23-1 of the General Laws entitled "Department of Health" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 23-1-59. Tobacco control program.

(a) The department of health (“the department”) shall conduct statewide surveillance of tobacco-related behaviors, knowledge, attitudes, and periodically evaluate the progress of the department's tobacco control programs, in reducing tobacco use. Benchmark rates could include: the adult smoking prevalence rate from the 2024 benchmark rate of nine and nine-tenths percent (9.9%), youth tobacco use rate from the 2023 benchmark rate of seventeen and one-third percent (17.3%) and youth e-cigarette rate of sixteen and one-half percent (16.5%).

(b) The department shall conduct an ongoing public awareness of tobacco related diseases program, by developing an information campaign using a variety of media approaches. Any media campaign funded under the tobacco control program shall stress the importance of both preventing the initiation of tobacco use and quitting tobacco use and shall be based on professional market research and surveys, necessary to determine the most effective method of diminishing tobacco use among specified target population and/or demonstrated effectiveness campaigns used in other states.

(c) The department shall award and administer grants for projects directed at preventing and reducing the use of tobacco and tobacco-related diseases. The purpose of the grant program is to conduct health education and promotion activities and tobacco cessation and enforcement programs, designed to reduce the number of people beginning to use tobacco, continuing to use tobacco, or developing tobacco related diseases. In awarding grants, the department shall select a variety of projects and grantees, consider the current availability of similar services and the need to target resources to programs serving populations at high risk of starting tobacco use or developing tobacco related diseases.

(d) The department shall evaluate and assess efficacy for each component of the Rhode Island tobacco control program. This evaluation shall be submitted annually to the general assembly and the director of the department of health. (e)(1) Commencing with fiscal years beginning on and after July 1, 2026, funding for subsection (e)(2) of this section shall consist of an amount equal to the greater of:

(i) Five percent (5%) of the total revenues collected annually from chapter 20 of title 44 ("cigarette and other tobacco products tax") and chapter 20.2 of title 44 ("little cigar tax"); or

(ii) Three million two hundred thousand dollars ($3,200,000), with an additional five percent (5%) increase year-over-year to meet the Centers for Disease Control recommended funding level for tobacco control and prevention in Rhode Island.

(2) The amounts referenced in this subsection shall be directed to the tobacco control program at the department of health to fund tobacco control initiatives and implement evidence- based programs for tobacco prevention and cessation and that align with the goals of preventing youth initiation of tobacco usage, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, and promoting cessation. The funding shall be spent in accordance with evidence-based best practices for tobacco prevention and cessation.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.