Kansas Senate approves tougher vape rules to target unlicensed products and child-directed ads

Key Takeaways

• Kansas Senate passed SB 355 on Wednesday and sent it to the House
• Bill would require e-cigarette manufacturers to be licensed in Kansas; license application fee is $2,500
• Marketing restrictions would ban cartoon/fictional characters, youth-oriented symbols/trademarks, and celebrity images on vapes and packaging
• Devices with video game, audio, photo, video, or similar entertainment features would be prohibited
• Report cites FDA authorization of four brands to sell 39 vapes and an estimate that up to 54% of products sold nationally are illegal

2Firsts, Feb 13, 2026 – 

According to Kansas Reflector, the Kansas Senate approved tougher regulations on vapes on Wednesday in an effort to crack down on unlicensed products and eliminate advertisements geared toward children.

The report said major tobacco companies were behind the bill, which would impose the same licensing and advertising requirements on e-cigarettes as other nicotine products. Sen. Mike Thompson (Mike Thompson), a Shawnee Republican, said it “cuts out the bad actors,” ensuring every e-cigarette manufacturer doing business in Kansas obtains a license. Applying for a license would cost the manufacturer $2,500.

Senate Bill 355 would also bar manufacturers from marketing vapes to children. Vapes and their packaging could not depict a fictional or cartoon-like character, include symbols or trademarks usually used in marketing to minors, or feature the image of a celebrity.

The report said vapes with video game, audio, photo, video, or similar entertainment features would be outlawed.

“A large portion of the vapes that come into Kansas come from foreign countries, and they are not regulated and not licensed, and they present health and security threats,” Thompson said, according to the report.

The report said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized four brands to sell 39 vapes, including three American companies and one Japanese company. It added that the agency estimated in September that as much as 54% of vaping products sold across the country are illegal.

The report also noted that Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (Kris Kobach) issued a consumer alert for “smart vapes” in January, cautioning Kansas families. Kobach’s office said “smart vapes” include Chinese products that enable access to games, social media, Bluetooth and music. “These vapes are designed to entice and addict kids,” Kobach said at the time, according to the report. He also said the materials inside these vapes are simultaneously unregulated.

The Senate passed the bill unanimously and sent it to the House, the report said.

Image source: Kansas Reflector