Latest news with #HB8
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New state regulations for vape products to take effect June 1: What to know
ALABAMA (WHNT) — The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board announced that new state regulations regarding vape products are set to go into effect on June 1. HB8, also known as Act 2025-403, designates two specific retail permit types available to businesses for vape products, according to the ABC. They are as follows: ABC Tobacco PermitThe ABC Tobacco Permit authorizes the sale of the products listed below: Tobacco, tobacco products, and/or non-vapor-based alternative nicotine; or E-liquid, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and vapor-based alternative nicotine products that have received a marketing order or other authorization under 21 U.S.C. § 387j(c)(1)(A)(i) NOTE: This means that the product (i) has received an FDA marketing order; (ii) has received an FDA marketing denial order that has been stayed, rescinded, or vacated by a court order or by the FDA itself; or (iii) is subject to a premarket tobacco application that was timely filed and remains under review by the FDA; and (iv) is listed on The ENDS Directory is maintained by the Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 28-11-17.1. Those permittees that sell the above-mentioned products may renew their ABC Tobacco Permit for the 2025-2026 year when renewals begin June 1, 2025. The annual permit fee for an ABC Tobacco Permit is now $150. ABC Specialty Retailer of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System PermitThe ABC Specialty Retailer of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Permit authorizes the saleof any allowable e-liquids, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and vapor-based alternativeNicotine products that meet the requirements of state and federal law, The annual permit fee for an ABC Specialty Retailer of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Permit is $1,000.00. Any location that meets the definition of a Specialty Retailer of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Permit under 28-11-2(19) must obtain the Specialty Retailer of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Permit. These locations must be restricted to those 21 years of age or older and have signs posted indicating the age restriction. All products sold must meet all requirements of state and federal law. Current permit holders will receive official correspondence to the email address on record fromthe Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Under HB8, convenience stores across the state are only allowed to sell 34 tobacco and menthol-flavored e-cigarette products approved by the FDA. All other flavors — including hundreds currently pending FDA review — will be banned from sale except in age-restricted vape shops where only those 21 and over can enter. Other notions in HB8 include: Banning the sale of vapes in vending machines Increasing penalties for selling vapes to minors under 21 Until the FDA begins to regulate vape products in the U.S., Alabama, as a state, must restrict and prohibit the sale of foreign vape products The State Board of Education shall adopt a model policy for vape awareness, education and prevention programs in public K-12 schools You can read the full enrolled act below. HB8-2025-403Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
13-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Building more high-quality career pathways in Texas and beyond
High-quality career pathways, including community college systems, are increasingly vital as the labor market evolves. Why it's important: Aligning workers' skills with employer needs expands economic mobility and contributes to enhanced regional competitiveness, new business development, and reduced recruitment and training costs. For instance, increasing the share of working-age Americans with at least a bachelor's degree by 10% could lead to an annual GDP growth increase of almost one percentage point.* The challenges: Insufficient resources, siloed policies, fragmented funding streams, difficulties collaborating and rapid labor market changes can make it difficult to create the necessary career pathways. Despite these challenges, the demand for improved career pathways has sparked innovation, leading to promising strategies that can be replicated to accelerate progress. 📍 Texas, with more than a decade of investment in high-quality career pathways, can serve as a blueprint for communities looking to develop integrated education and workforce systems. A new report from JPMorganChase explores five key insights from Texas' innovative career pathway strategies, including how the state enabled significant policy shifts — like Texas House Bill 8, a historic investment in the state's community colleges to boost student career outcomes. Here's what's needed ➡️ 1️⃣ Public-private partnerships. Texas has demonstrated the importance of cross-sector collaborations between nonprofit organizations, government, business and philanthropic sectors. These partnerships are essential in aligning education and workforce systems. 2️⃣ Strong data infrastructure. A robust data infrastructure is essential for supporting high-quality career pathways — especially enhancing the capacity of tech platforms to share data across systems. This infrastructure allows local intermediaries and to evaluate outcomes, inform policy recommendations and tailor programs to meet regional workforce demands. 3️⃣ Intermediaries developing leadership tables. Intermediaries play a crucial role in engaging local stakeholders, including education institutions, business leaders and philanthropic organizations. Strong intermediary organizations ensure that strategies are data-driven, have broad buy-in and contribute to successful policy implementation. 4️⃣ Stakeholder involvement. HB 8 reflects public feedback from local stakeholders convened and requested by the Texas Commission on Community College Finance. This inclusive approach ensures the funding model addresses the unique needs of various communities and institutions. 5️⃣ Workforce outcome-based funding. HB 8 ties funding to measurable student career outcomes, such as earning credits of value, dual credit completion and successful transfers to four-year institutions. This aligns education with employer needs and incentivizes colleges to support students in achieving credentials that lead to family-sustaining wages. How it's done: These insights showcase how local leaders can unite to create a visionary, integrated education and workforce system that broadens opportunities for individuals and communities. ⭐️ An example: Recognizing the need to improve career pathways, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board released the "Building a Talent Strong Texas" strategic plan for higher education in 2015. The goal: To have 60% of Texans ages 25 to 64 earn a degree certificate or other credential of value by 2030.** While many states have established similar goals, Texas' plan is notable because of the leadership provided by local and statewide organizations that collaborated to advance solutions. A key player in this effort is The Commit Partnership, a coalition of more than 200 organizations in Dallas County focused on improving educational outcomes and workforce readiness. The Commit Partnership's progress in Dallas as well as input from other local leaders across the state has informed strategies developed by groups like Aim Hire Texas, a consortium of advocates, employers, nonprofit organizations, and education and training programs working to improve the Texas workforce system. Together, the organizations brought employers to the table, including JPMorganChase, to inform alignment between labor needs and higher education in the region. JPMorganChase has been one of the business leaders supporting these efforts to build high-quality career pathways and strengthen Texas community colleges. Here's what else: High-quality student-level data from key state agencies has provided the backbone to understand, analyze and respond to educational and workforce needs. Intermediary groups like Texas 2036 and The Commit Partnership utilize the data to address challenges, tailoring programs and championing policy changes that improve education and workforce outcomes. As a result, Texas has developed a comprehensive system that provides detailed, disaggregated data that equips stakeholders with the information needed to refine metrics and outcomes through data-driven decision-making. 🎓 The results: The work of these cross-sector collaborations, along with strong data infrastructure, have laid the groundwork for advancements in Texas' education and workforce systems. Looking ahead: By aligning community college funding with workforce outcomes, Texas is pointed to drive state and regional economic growth, ensuring students are equipped with the skills and credentials needed to thrive in a rapidly changing labor market.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama lawmakers pass tighter regulations on vaping sales
Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, speaks to a colleague on the Alabama Senate floor on May 6, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama, while senators debate a bill she sponsored to regulate electronic vapor products. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Senate Tuesday approved a bill imposing stricter regulations on the sale of tobacco and vaping products. HB 8, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, would ban the distribution of tobacco, tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, e-liquids, and alternative nicotine products through vending machines. It would also create a licensing and fee requirement for retailers intending to sell these products. 'These products are harming our young people. We're not dealing with something that is a healthy product. This product is not a product that we should be inhaling into our lungs. So, we are just trying to protect our children,' said Sen. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, who presented the bill to the body. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 28-5. The House concurred with Senate changes to the bill later in the day, sending the bill to Gov. Kay Ivey. Similar bills meant to address concerns about youth access to vaping devices have been introduced over several years by Drummond. Drummond, who was present on the Senate floor during its passage, received a standing ovation from the chamber. 'Today, your hard work is paid off,' said Senate President Pro Tempore Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, who has sponsored similar legislation in the past.. 'The state of Alabama appreciates you. We all say thank you for taking care of our kids, the superintendents, all the school children throughout, and all the ones that are doing some bad stuff. They don't even know they're doing bad stuff because that study's not out there, and there's not any money to enforce this. This allows that to happen.' Rates of smoking tend to be higher in Alabama, with just over 14% of Alabama adults being current smokers in 2023, with 9.5% smoking every day and 4.8% smoking some days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 12% of adults smoke every day or some days nationally. Rates of high school students using electronic vapes in Alabama are also higher than nationally and have increased since 2015, when about 2% of high school students used an electronic vaping device daily, according to CDC's High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey data. By 2021, that increased to 8% of Alabama high school students reporting using vapes every day, compared to 5% nationally. A University of Southern California 2025 study suggests that e-cigarette use in the past year declined in U.S. youths, but there was a significant increase in nicotine pouch usage from 2023 to 2024. The bill would also establish the Tobacco Licensing and Compliance Fund; provide for an advisory board to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and require tobacco retailers to post signage warning of the dangers of tobacco product use. The legislation also includes measures aimed at schools, directing the Alabama State Board of Education to develop a model policy for vape awareness, education and prevention programs in public K-12 schools. Local boards of education will be required to adopt policies based on this model. During the Senate floor discussions, Sessions said he was concerned with the increasing use of vaping products among young people and the health consequences associated with them. 'We have an epidemic going on in this state with our young people. They are getting sick,' he said, claiming young individuals have required hospitalization due to the use of counterfeit products. The Senate also addressed concerns about the bill's potential impact on businesses that legally sell tobacco and vape products. An amendment proposed by Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro and approved by the chamber allows the sale of FDA-approved products in convenience stores if these stores obtain the necessary permits and comply with verification requirements. 'This amendment would definitely fall still under the laws of this particular bill,' Singleton said, saying that the amendment does not weaken the bill's intended regulation. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed Alabama vaping regulation, fees pass Senate committee
Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, speaks during a debate in the Alabama House of Representatives on Feb. 12, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama Senate committee advanced a vaping regulation bill Wednesday after hearing arguments from the sponsor and an opponent representing the vaping industry. HB 8, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, would amend state law regarding the sale and regulation of tobacco, alternative nicotine products, and electronic nicotine delivery systems, often called vapes. It would restrict sales via vending machines, increase penalties for violations, establish new licensing fees to create a dedicated enforcement fund and require K-12 schools to adopt policies for vaping awareness and prevention. Drummond described it as a necessary regulation and said that it would bring in about $2.5 million in revenue to the state coffers. There are currently no licensing or permit fees for vaping products. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'I just left the Prevention Day across the street at the Capitol, where there are teachers who brought students up, and the number one issue was vaping, and they were talking about how they don't know what to do,' Drummond said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Drummond also said the bill addresses underage violations, saying that when minors are found in violation in public schools or private schools, they will go to juvenile courts instead of adult courts. Meghan Hardesty, president of the Alabama Vape and Hemp Association, called the bill 'dangerous, ineffective and economically devastating' for regulating age-restricted vape shops. 'The vast majority of underage use begins in convenience stores and gas stations, not age-restricted vape shops that already require customers to be 21 and older and verify IDs,' she said. Hardesty added that the bill harms responsible businesses while benefiting large tobacco companies. She proposed moving vaping to licensed specialty retailers that only allow customers 21 and older, similar to alcohol, if the goal is to curb youth use. 'We are not against smart regulation,' she added. 'We want it, but HB 8 is not smart. It is harmful'. The bill moves to the full Senate for consideration. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Associated Press
26-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Five ways a funding overhaul has transformed Texas community colleges
Community colleges in 2023 celebrated a long-awaited investment from the Texas Legislature, positioning Texas to lead the country in connecting young people to the workforce. That year, state legislators reimagined how community colleges are financed with House Bill 8. The old funding formula awarded schools based on enrollment. Schools now have to see their students through to graduation to get money: The new formula ties state dollars to degree and certificate completions, transfers to four-year universities and high schoolers' participation in dual credit courses. The effort was born out of state leaders' desire to better prepare young Texans for the workforce. By 2030, at least 60% of jobs in Texas will require a postsecondary credential, and yet, less than 40% of students earn a degree or certificate within six years of graduating high school. For students, a postsecondary credential often leads to higher wages and increased economic and social mobility. As part of a near-unanimous vote for HB 8, lawmakers poured a historic $683 million into two-year institutions. When the money trickled down to each college in fiscal year 2024, each college saw an influx of dollars that ranged from $70,000 to $2.9 million. Over a year after the law went into effect, community colleges have been working with unprecedented resources to bring down barriers to completion. Some have introduced free tuition benefits; others have expanded their student advising services. Those efforts are reshaping how schools run and who is taking their classes. 'HB 8, at its heart, was an attempt for the Legislature … to say, 'What's the most impactful way that we can ensure alignment between educational outcomes and business and industry needs?'' Ray Martinez III, the president of the Texas Association of Community Colleges, said. 'That's why this is so significant … We have seen tremendous outcomes.' Lawmakers have been fine-tuning funding incentives this session. Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, is shepherding a bill that would give community colleges money for student transfers not only to public universities but also to private schools. Community colleges currently get bonus dollars when students complete credentials of value, or credentials that lead to high-demand, high-wage jobs: VanDeaver's bill would adjust the definition of a credential of value to include more precise labor market data. Here are five ways community colleges have transformed because of the new funding formula: Dual credit boosts enrollment During the COVID-19 pandemic, young Texans cut community college out of their plans. One in ten students in the state — or about 80,000 students — disappeared from campuses. Economic uncertainty acutely affected community college students, who often come from lower-income households and have more work and care responsibilities than their peers at four-year institutions. Many left school for low-skill jobs. Others lost the steam to keep going. Community college leaders have had to find ways to keep students — and one big way has been growing the pool of high school students who get a jump start on college. HB 8 makes it easier for low-income students to take dual credit courses. Community colleges in the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer program, or FAST, now get extra funding when they allow high school students who qualify for free and reduced-priced lunch to take classes at no cost. Other students get a discount, with a cap on costs at about $55 per credit hour. Research shows dual credit students are more likely to graduate from high school, enroll in college and finish their degrees faster. The financial help has prompted an upshoot in enrollment. More than 250,000 students participated in dual credit classes through the FAST program in the 2023-24 school year, according to Sarah Keyton, who was the interim commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board last fall. Kilgore College in East Texas, for example, saw a 36.5% increase in dual credit enrollment last school year. High schoolers now make up the majority of its student body. Community colleges don't have to participate in the FAST program but nearly all have opted in. Colleges got a total of about $80 million in extra funding last academic year, Keyton said. College leaders are adapting to their schools' changing identities as dual credit students make up a larger portion of their total student populations. Some faculty now spend more time teaching in high schools than on campus. Free tuition gains momentum As young people increasingly question the value of college, a pair of colleges have come up with a new price tag: free. In bold pilot programs, Austin Community College and Del Mar College are waiving three years of tuition for local high school graduates. ''Discount' doesn't change people's perceptions that they can't afford to go to college,' ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart told The Texas Tribune. ''Free' means something when you're talking about college affordability.' The first class of students to benefit from the free tuition program started this year. ACC paid for it with the $6.8 million it received from the state last year through HB 8. Lowery-Hart wants to use the program to reach students who were not planning to go to college. In a recent survey of ACC prospective students, more than half said they didn't enroll because of tuition costs. When glitches in the revamped federal financial aid application delayed award packages, students in the Austin area told the Tribune that ACC's free tuition program was a much-needed option that eased the uncertainty. Del Mar College is following ACC's footsteps, launching a free tuition benefit this fall for recent high school graduates and adult learners in the Corpus Christi area. Students have to enroll full time and maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average to qualify. In what is known as a 'first dollar' program, both Texas colleges are paying for students' tuition before federal and state aid kicks in. That allows students to use their grants and scholarship money to pay for other needs like housing, food and textbooks. Students hired as peer mentors Laredo College has turned nearly 80 students into peer advisers, multiplying its advising crew by seven. The peer advisers are recent graduates, former students who transferred to a four-year university or current students who are finishing their degree. They help their classmates register for classes and stay on track to graduation. Many Laredo College students are the first in their families to go to college. Young people in the region often opt not to get a college degree because they don't know how to go through the process — and there's nobody at home to help them, said Minita Ramirez, the president of Laredo College. 'Whether it's a first-time college student out of high school or … a 70-year-old gentleman who all his life wanted to go to college, …. our hope is that we provide the support … to get that person through the process, to make them feel comfortable in an environment that is completely foreign,' Ramirez said. 'And if we can do that, our numbers grow.' Already, Laredo College has seen 1,500 students switch from part-time to full-time, Ramirez said. HB 8 has pushed college leaders like Ramirez to fix disjointed advising systems to prevent students from falling through the cracks. Research shows student advising is tied to higher grades and graduation rates. When students at North Central Texas College register online for a course that won't count toward their degree, a warning sign now pops up encouraging them to visit an adviser. Chancellor G. Brent Wallace said he wants to make sure students don't sign up for the wrong course — and save them the time and money that goes along with those decisions. North Central Texas College also hired about a dozen more staffers so advisers aren't stretched too thin and students get the academic attention they need, Wallace said. Growing workforce training Community colleges have long been a player in helping close workforce gaps, but HB 8 was the push for leaders to strengthen relationships with local employers. Sherman, for example, has been grappling with its new identity as a semiconductor manufacturing hub. In recent years, giant companies like Texas Instruments and GlobiTech have been constructing multibillion-dollar chipmaking facilities. Before those facilities could finish construction, Grayson College was already training students so they would be ready to join the industry. Jeremy McMillen, the president of the college, said the school added programs like electronic and automation certifications with input from those companies. It mimicked the kind of collaboration the state's technical colleges have with employers on curricula. 'We needed to move the needle in terms of building out of the infrastructure,' McMillen said at a Texas Tribune event last month. 'Without HB 8 in the background, it's very difficult to imagine that we've been able to do that.' Schools team up so credits transfer Students in North Texas are getting more support when they select Dallas College courses they want to count toward a bachelor's degree. To ease transfers to local universities, Dallas College teamed up with Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Woman's University and the University of North Texas at Dallas to identify which courses students will get credit for when they transfer. The HB 8 funding model means the community college gets money when students successfully transfer. Around 80% of students who enroll in community colleges intend to transfer but just 16% do, according to data from The Aspen Institute. In the fall of 2022, more than 13,000 Texas students who transferred did not receive credit for at least one of the courses they completed, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Students lose time and money when they take classes that don't end up counting toward their degrees. The setback can discourage them from completing their bachelor's degree. The Dallas-area schools launched an online portal in the fall where prospective students can see how their credits would be counted at each school and track their progress toward their bachelor's degree. For three areas of study — business, education and health sciences — the universities have already agreed on which Dallas College courses will be counted for credit toward related majors on their campuses.
