New York Senate Bill S05108

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/19/25
• Refer: 2/19/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Prohibits the sale of tobacco products and vapor products within five hundred feet of a public or private school.

Summary

This bill would amend New York’s Public Health Law to prohibit the sale of tobacco products and vapor products within 500 feet of any public or private school. The restriction would apply to both traditional tobacco and vaping products, and the distance would be measured in a straight line from the nearest property line of the school parcel to the nearest property line of the business parcel. The bill also establishes how violations would be enforced by incorporating the existing enforcement framework in the Public Health Law, while allowing any person to file a complaint with an enforcement officer if they believe a violation has occurred. The measure would take effect 180 days after becoming law, giving businesses and regulators a transition period before the new sales restriction is enforced.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would add a new section to the Public Health Law and expand existing tobacco and vapor product sales restrictions around schools. It would affect retailers selling cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other vapor products by limiting where such products may be sold near public and private schools. The bill would also rely on existing enforcement provisions in the Public Health Law, potentially increasing compliance obligations for retailers and giving the public a role in reporting alleged violations.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded debate, so there is no documented legislative sentiment beyond the bill’s introduction and referral to the Senate Health Committee. Based on the text alone, the bill appears to reflect a public health-oriented approach aimed at reducing youth access to tobacco and vaping products near schools.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill’s substance, could include the impact on small retailers near schools, the breadth of the 500-foot buffer, enforcement burdens, and whether the restriction would meaningfully reduce youth tobacco and vaping use. However, no named supporters or opponents are identified in the available record.