Latest news with #andMeansCommittee
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vape regulation bill advances in Tennessee House
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A legislative committee advanced a bill co-sponsored by a local lawmaker that would tax vapor products and limit which products can be sold. State Rep. David Hawk (R-Greeneville) is the co-sponsor of House Bill 968, which cleared the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee in a 12–1 vote Monday. Amended bill would give Johnson City power to set alcohol sale hours The bill would limit the sale of vapor products to those that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or are still under FDA review. It would also tax disposable vape products at 7 cents per milliliter and refillable vape products at 10% of wholesale cost price. Speaking before the committee, Hawk said the goal of the bill is to keep vapor products out of children's hands. Opponents say it would force most if not all vape shops to close and lead to more people turning to tobacco. The bill will now go to the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee. The Senate version, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Yager (R-Kingston), is on the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee's agenda for Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tennessee trauma centers face funding gap as state-dedicated cigarette tax revenue dwindles
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee's 14 trauma centers are treating more patients than ever, but a state cigarette tax that helps cover certain costs is burning up. Representatives of Tennessee's 14 trauma centers asked lawmakers for additional funding sources during the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee hearing Tuesday, because the cigarette tax, created in 2007 to help offset some of the trauma centers' costs, including 'readiness' expenses and uncompensated care, isn't generating as much revenue. 'The majority of the states in our nation have clearly defined trauma funding sources, Tennessee being one of them, but as we look at some of our neighboring states, you see we're sort of trailing behind them in terms of what the state funding is by state,' Dr. Brad Dennis, the trauma medical director at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center said. Dennis told lawmakers states like Virginia use motor vehicle registration fees to generate around $16 million per year for its trauma centers. Meanwhile, Tennessee's cigarette tax revenue for trauma centers continues to fall due to dwindling cigarette sales, generating around $9 million in 2008 and just $5.8 million in 2023. 2 students arrested after threatening to shoot up Madison Middle School 'As a physician, I'm glad fewer people are smoking. As a trauma physician, it hurts our resources. It's a dichotomy,' Dr. Reagan Bollig with the University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville said. According to testimony Tuesday, while neighboring states' funding pays between $2.21 to $8.12 per resident, Tennessee pays $1.93 per resident. In addition, the cigarette tax covers just 6.32% of the state's trauma centers' 'readiness cost' of $170 million, which is how much money is needed for centers to be ready to treat a patient. 'What we talked about was $170 million in readiness; the cost of actually providing that care once they're admitted is tremendous,' Dr. Dennis said. 'As you can imagine, there are many patients that are indigent or underfunded, so no, we are not a profitable industry but a necessary one for sure as it relates to hospital care.' ⏩ Last year, the general assembly budgeted an additional $5 million for the Trauma Care Fund, but it was a one-time payment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
