From: NACS Online
More than 30 meetings are planned with White House officials as the final review of new regulations takes place.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of some of the most sweeping changes to rules governing cigars and e-cigarettes, industry groups and health advocates have been bending the ear of the White House to press their suggestions, The Hill reports. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is conducting a final review of the new regulations, which move cigars and e-cigs under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first time.
Thus far, 21 meetings have been held to talk about the deeming rule, with another dozen or so on the books for December. This means that the new rules will likely not be ready until 2016. Tobacco and electronic cigarette industry representatives constitute the bulk of the meetings, especially because of a potential “grandfather date” for e-cigs in an earlier version of the rules. The proposed rules say that any tobacco product first on the shelves after February 15, 2007, would need to retroactively apply for FDA approval.