S.T.O.P. Illicit Vapes Act
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Strengthening Task Force Operations to Prevent Illicit Vapes Act (S.T.O.P. Illicit Vapes Act) mandates the creation of a federal multi-agency task force within 30 days of enactment to combat the illegal importation, distribution, and sale of e-cigarettes. The task force is co-chaired by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and includes representatives from the FDA, DOJ, Customs and Border Protection, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Postal Inspection Service, FTC, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI. The task force must meet at least monthly, submit semiannual reports to Congress detailing each agency's enforcement actions (criminal, civil, seizure, and forfeiture), and recommend any additional authorities needed to address the public health threat. The task force terminates after 10 years.
Who Benefits
- Public health, especially youth -- the task force aims to reduce availability of unauthorized e-cigarettes that bypass FDA regulation and may pose health risks
- Legitimate e-cigarette manufacturers and retailers who have gone through the FDA authorization process benefit from enforcement against illegal competitors undercutting them
- FDA gains coordinated federal enforcement support to back up its regulatory authority over tobacco products
Who Bears the Burden
- Unauthorized e-cigarette manufacturers, importers, and distributors face coordinated multi-agency enforcement including criminal prosecution, civil actions, and seizure/forfeiture
- Federal agencies (11+ agencies) bear the administrative burden of staffing the task force, attending monthly meetings, and producing semiannual reports
- Foreign e-cigarette manufacturers (particularly in China, where most illicit vapes originate) face increased border interdiction through CBP and HSI coordination
Key Provisions
- Task force must be established within 30 days of enactment
- Co-chaired by the Attorney General and Secretary of HHS
- Includes representatives from 11 federal agencies (FDA, DOJ, CBP, ATF, USMS, USPIS, FTC, HSI, FBI, and others)
- Monthly meetings required
- Semiannual reports to Congress on enforcement actions and recommendations
- 10-year sunset provision
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Establishes a multi-agency federal task force, co-chaired by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to combat the illegal importation, distribution, and sale of e-cigarettes in the United States, with semiannual reporting to Congress and a 10-year lifespan.
Key Policy Areas
Public Health, Criminal Justice, Trade and Commerce
Primary Purpose
Establishes a multi-agency federal task force, co-chaired by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to combat the illegal importation, distribution, and sale of e-cigarettes in the United States, with semiannual reporting to Congress and a 10-year lifespan.
Policy Domains
Whole Bill -- Multi-Agency E-Cigarette Enforcement Task Force
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Public health (reduced availability of unauthorized e-cigarettes)
- Legitimate e-cigarette manufacturers and retailers (enforcement against illegal competitors)
- FDA (coordinated enforcement backing its regulatory authority)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Unauthorized e-cigarette manufacturers, importers, and distributors
- Federal agencies (staffing and reporting obligations)
- Foreign e-cigarette manufacturers (border interdiction)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Durbin (for himself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following …
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. …
Introduced in Senate
Impact analysis is available but no clear stakeholder effects identified. View clause-level analysis →
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary_hhs"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services (co-chair)
- "attorney_general"
- → Attorney General (co-chair)
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology