A House committee approved a bi-partisan measure to ease restrictions on keeping vaping products in the market once the industry becomes regulated, various sources said.

Sponsored by Representative Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican, and Georgia Democrat Sanford Bishop, the amendment would move forward the predicate, or grandfather date on vaping products contained in regulations proposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Appropriations Committee approval came in a 31-19 vote.
Because e-cigarettes were not on the US market before the 15 Feb 2007 predicate date in the FDA’s proposal, they must obtain pre-market approval from the tobacco regulator to remain on the market once the agency’s rule is approved. The amendment would move the date forward to the day on which the deeming rule takes effect. The rule would expand FDA’s tobacco regulatory powers to include previously unregulated products like cigars, pipe and hookah tobacco.
Advocacy group the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA) said the date as stands would create a “de facto ban” on vapour products due in part to the high cost. “Today’s amendment is a first solid step in the effort to reduce the public harm cause by smoking as we await the FDA’s final deeming regulations,” said Cynthia Cabrera, SFATA’s executive director.
Contained in an agricultural funding bill, the amendment will go to the House of Representatives. A vote by the full House has yet to be scheduled, Reuters reported.