Kennedy offers FDA tobacco bill
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., introduces the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, S. 982. The bill, offered May 5, is a virtual copy of legislation the House passed to give FDA authority over tobacco products, with only minor technical changes, according to a staffer for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. H.R. 1256, introduced by Energy and Commerce Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., passed the House in April. Waxman expressed hope that the Senate would pass the legislation after the spring recess, but a staffer for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the bill is unlikely to reach the Senate floor until after Memorial Day (1"The Tan Sheet" April 20, 2009, In Brief)