Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986
Public Law 99-252 · S. 1574 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Feb 27, 1986 · Commerce
Sponsor: Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Cosponsors (11): Sen. Orrin Hatch, Sen. Rudy Boschwitz,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Comprehensive Smokeless Tobacco Health Education Act of 1986 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and carry out a program to inform the public of any dangers to human health resulting from the use of smokeless tobacco products. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop educational programs and materials and public service announcements respecting the dangers to human health from the use of smokeless tobacco; (2) make such programs, materials, and announcements available to States, local governments, school systems, and other entities; (3) conduct and support research on the effect of smokeless tobacco on human health; and (4) collect, analyze, and disseminate information and studies on smokeless tobacco and health.
Permits the Secretary to provide technical assistance and make grants to States to assist in the development and distribution of educational programs, materials, and public service announcements on the dangers to human health from the use of smokeless tobacco, and to establish 18 as the minimum age for purchasing smokeless tobacco.
Requires specified warning labels on all smokeless tobacco products and advertisements. Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate regulations to implement this Act within 180 days. Requires manufacturers, packagers, and importers of smokeless tobacco products to annually provide the Secretary with a list of the ingredients added to tobacco, and a specification of the quantity of nicotine contained in each product. Provides for confidentiality of such information. Declares that the failure to comply with provisions of this Act shall be a misdemeanor. Grants district courts of the United States jurisdiction and injunctive power to prevent and restrain violations of this Act.
Requires each manufacturer, packager, or importer of smokeless tobacco to submit a compliance plan to the FTC. Imposes a ban on smokeless tobacco advertising on any medium of electronic communication subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), effective six months after enactment of this Act.
Requires a report to the Congress on January 11, 1987, and biennially thereafter, by the: (1) Secretary concerning smokeless tobacco and health and, as appropriate, on the health effects of ingredients added to smokeless tobacco; and (2) FTC concerning a description of current marketing practices associated with smokeless tobacco products.
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to exempt alcohol-containing confectionery from being considered adulterated if it is introduced into interstate commerce for sale in a State which permits its sale.
Sets forth the effective dates for the various provisions of this Act and makes the warning provisions effective one year after enactment of this Act.
Provides that the provisions of this Act relating to smokeless tobacco statements shall preempt any other Federal, State, or local requirement.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Feb 27, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-252.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Feb 19, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Feb 6, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment. By Voice Vote.
- Feb 3, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Dec 16, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Dec 4, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Nov 19, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Aug 1, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.