BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session SB 1400 (Wieckowski) - Retail tobacco licenses ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: February 19, 2016 |Policy Vote: B., P. & E.D. 6 - | | | 1 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: May 27, 2016 |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Summary: SB 1400 would revise the definition of a "retail location" under the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act to limit the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to "tobacco stores" as currently defined in law. *********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM - SUSPENSE FILE *********** The following information is revised to reflect amendments adopted by the committee on May 27, 2016 Fiscal Impact: No fiscal impact is anticipated by the Department of Public Health with respect to its enforcement of the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement Act. One time increase in tobacco retailer licensing fees of about $700,000 in the first year, offset in future years by an SB 1400 (Wieckowski) Page 1 of ? ongoing reduction of $470,000 per year in licensing fee revenues (Compliance Fund). The definitional change in the bill will result in a substantial reduction in the number of retail businesses that can legally sell cigarettes and tobacco products in the state. According to the Board of Equalization, this change is expected to prohibit about 30,000 retailers (including grocery stores and gas stations) from selling tobacco products. This would leave about 2,200 existing retailers that are likely to meet the new definition of a "retail location". In addition, the Board estimates that an additional 7,000 new retail locations would open to meet existing demand for tobacco products. The Board anticipates an initial influx of licensing application fee revenue from those new retail locations, offset in future years from reductions in license applications from retail locations no longer authorized to sell tobacco products. Reduced total excise tax and sales tax revenues on tobacco products of $84 million per year (various funds). The Board of Equalization projects reduced tobacco excise tax revenues of about $56 million per year (about 10% of which would come from the General Fund and the remainder from special funds that support a variety of public health programs). The Board estimates reduced sales tax revenues of about $29 million per year (about 50% coming from the General Fund and the remainder coming from local government sales tax revenues). The Board estimates that most consumers will shift their purchases of tobacco products from retailers such as gas stations or grocery stores to tobacco stores. However, the Board also projects an overall reduction in tobacco consumption from this change, due to the reduced convenience having to purchase tobacco products only at tobacco stores. Unknown, but significant health care cost savings to public payers (various funds). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimates of annual direct health care costs related to smoking are between $130 billion and $180 billion per year, nationally. This bill is likely to reduce health care costs, by reducing tobacco use rates. If the long-term reduction in the expenditure of health care costs relating to smoking is proportional to the reduction in the use rate, total direct health care costs in the state would be reduced by as much as $1 billion per year in the long-run. A significant portion of those savings would likely accrue to SB 1400 (Wieckowski) Page 2 of ? public payers such as the Medi-Cal program and CalPERS. Author Amendments: Delay implementation until January 1, 2019. -- END --