The Bill That Wouldn't Die - aka PACT Act

[RRK]

Here's a link to the amendment to PACT:

http://judiciary.senate.gov/legislat...8-PACT-Act.pdf

Wow, thats long. Funny how they didn't discuss the amendment at all and everyone seemed to support it.

[cstokes4]

Not sure what FedEx and UPS' stance on mailing tobacco is. There is procedures in there for them to follow if they will mail it. I could care less about paying sales tax, I just want to be able to get my snus in the mail!

I guess we will see what UPS and FedEx leave us with...

[lxskllr]

Here's a link to the amendment to PACT:

http://judiciary.senate.gov/legislat...8-PACT-Act.pdf

Wow, thats long. Funny how they didn't discuss the amendment at all and everyone seemed to support it.

Of course they support it. It's free money from the backs of minorities, so too many people won't bitch. I'd like to see them try a federal fat tax of 5¢ per gram. Excess fat causes as much, if not more negative health effects than tobacco. How far do you think that fat tax would go since they aren't targeting minorities?

[RRK]

I'd like to see them try no federal tax.

[lxskllr]

I'd like to see them try no federal tax.

But how do you get free money if you don't seize it? :^D

[Snusdog]

What is the next step and how do we monitor it?

My understanding is that it is headed to the floor. But does it not have to get there before the end of the year?

Anymore stops before the floor (e.g. Appropriations Committee)

Anyway, one of you politically savvy gents fill us in?

[PsychoHazard]

I know the 111th congress lasts until January 3, 2011, but I'm not entirely sure how it works in regards to various bills and whatnot. In any case, you can track the bill to some extent from:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1147

If anyone knows of someplace that tracks these things with more timely updates, let me know. In the meantime, I'm going to continue hoarding snus. Partly because of PACT, but mostly because I started hoarding snus as soon as I started using it regularly. You never know when something's gonna happen and you can't get your snus. 8)

UPDATE
It can also be tracked through this URL:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.01147:

[GoVegan]

PACT Act

I would give customer bonus points to the first online snus store that says that they are keeping up with the PACT Act and this is how they plan on working with it.

[Snusdog]

Re: PACT Act

I know the 111th congress lasts until January 3, 2011, but I'm not entirely sure how it works in regards to various bills and whatnot. In any case, you can track the bill to some extent from:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1147

If anyone knows of someplace that tracks these things with more timely updates, let me know. In the meantime, I'm going to continue hoarding snus. Partly because of PACT, but mostly because I started hoarding snus as soon as I started using it regularly. You never know when something's gonna happen and you can't get your snus. 8)

UPDATE
It can also be tracked through this URL:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.01147:

Thanks Ph.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see

[LaZeR]

I know the 111th congress lasts until January 3, 2011, but I'm not entirely sure how it works in regards to various bills and whatnot. In any case, you can track the bill to some extent from:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1147

Since I've only recently become aware and interested in this subject do to just taking up snus and relying on online vendors for my tobacco now, my limited research following the above link also points to a "related legislation" ---> http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1676 H.R. 1676: PACT Act

which shows the following:

Occurred: Introduced Mar 23, 2009
Occurred: Referred to Committee View Committee Assignments
Occurred: Reported by Committee Apr 28, 2009
Occurred: Passed House May 21, 2009

and containing this regarding the vote totals:

May 21, 2009: This bill passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote. The vote was held under a suspension of the rules to cut debate short and pass the bill, needing a two-thirds majority. This usually occurs for non-controversial legislation. The totals were 397 Ayes, 11 Nays, 25 Present/Not Voting. Vote Details.

Am I coming to the most likely conclusion in my thoughts that this is going to end up breezing through the House/Senate with little to know objection based on the above?

[chadizzy1]

It goes as follows:

http://www.ddal.org/legislation/federal/bills/

Introduction:
Member of Congress introduces legislation. The official process begins when a bill is numbered, ("H.R." signifies a bill originating in the U.S. House of Representatives and "S." signifies a bill originating in the U.S. Senate) referred to a committee and printed.

Step 1. Referral to Committee:
A bill is referred to standing committee in House or Senate. The referral is determined by which committee, or committees, has jurisdiction over the issues addressed in the bill.

Step 2. Committee Action:
When a bill reaches a committee, it is placed on the committee’s calendar. If the committee chairperson decides not to hear a bill, or act upon it in some other way, it is the equivalent of killing it.

Step 3: Subcommittee Review:
Often, bills are referred to a subcommittee. Hearings held at the subcommittee or committee level allow the views of the executive branch, other public officials, experts, supporters and opponents to be put on the record.

Step 4. Mark Up:
After hearings are held, the subcommittee may "mark up" the bill (make changes or add amendments) prior to recommending it to the full committee. If a subcommittee votes not to report the bill to the full committee, the bill dies.

Step 5. Committee Action:
After receiving the subcommittee’s report on the bill, the full committee can conduct further hearings, or it can vote and "order the bill reported" to the respective chamber where the bill originated: House or Senate.

Step 6. Written Report:
After the bill is reported, committee staff prepares a report on the bill describing the intent and scope of the legislation.

Step 7. Scheduling Floor Action:
The bill is placed in chronological order on a calendar. The House keeps several legislative calendars, and the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader largely determine if, when and in what order bills come before the House. In the Senate, there is only one legislative calendar.

Step 8. Debate:
When a bill reaches the floor of the House or Senate, the chamber must vote on the rules determining the amount of time allocated for debate on the bill.

Step 9. Voting:
After debate and approval of any amendments, the chamber votes. Votes may be recorded electronically or by voice vote. A recorded or "roll call" vote contains the names of members who vote for or against the bill, or who did not vote at all. A voice vote is a simple "aye" or "no" and the presiding officer in the chamber determines the result. If a bill is non-controversial, or has been reviewed sufficiently by each member of Congress before even reaching the floor, it can be voted on without scheduling any debate. This is called "unanimous consent" or "suspension of the rules."

Step 10. Referral:
When the House or Senate passes a bill, it is referred to the other chamber which may approve the bill, reject it, ignore it or change it through the same committee or subcommittee action as described above.

Step 11. Conference Committee:
If the opposite chamber only makes minor changes, the legislation goes back to the originating chamber for approval of the changes. However, if the bill has been significantly altered, a conference committee with members from both chambers is formed to reconcile the differences. If the conferees can reach an agreement, a conference report is prepared, if not, the bill dies.

Step 12. Presidential Action:
After a bill has been passed in identical forms through the House and Senate (or reported out of a conference committee), it is sent to the President who may either sign it into law or veto (reject) it. If Congress is in session and the President takes no action, it automatically becomes law. If Congress has already adjourned its second session and the President takes no action, it is called a "pocket veto" and the bill is rejected.

Step 13: Overriding a Veto:
Congress may attempt to override a presidential veto, which requires a two-thirds majority roll call vote.

--------------

I believe we're around Step 4 or 5....am I right?

According to:
http://judiciary.senate.gov/

S. 1147, Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 (Kohl, Leahy, Schumer, Specter, Feinstein, Klobuchar, Sessions)
Ordered Reported by Voice Vote

Unsure of what that means, maybe it means it's moving forward.

[PsychoHazard]

I think it means we it just finished step 5 and is moving on to step 6.

[Kvlt]

Are we even sure this applies to anything else but cigarettes? I agree this is horrible eve if it only effects cigarettes (trampling our rights), but I don't think this will effect snus.

Just make sure you keep snus on the downlow, and ask Phillip Morris an RJ Reynolds to quit calling their products snus.

[sagedil]

Are we even sure this applies to anything else but cigarettes?

Sec. 1716E. Tobacco products as nonmailable

`(a) Prohibition-

`(1) IN GENERAL- All cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (as those terms are defined in section 1 of the Act of October 19, 1949, commonly referred to as the Jenkins Act) are nonmailable and shall not be deposited in or carried through the mails. The United States Postal Service shall not accept for delivery or transmit through the mails any package that it knows or has reasonable cause to believe contains any cigarettes or smokeless tobacco made nonmailable by this paragraph.

[PsychoHazard]

Are we even sure this applies to anything else but cigarettes?

Sec. 1716E. Tobacco products as nonmailable

`(a) Prohibition-

`(1) IN GENERAL- All cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (as those terms are defined in section 1 of the Act of October 19, 1949, commonly referred to as the Jenkins Act) are nonmailable and shall not be deposited in or carried through the mails. The United States Postal Service shall not accept for delivery or transmit through the mails any package that it knows or has reasonable cause to believe contains any cigarettes or smokeless tobacco made nonmailable by this paragraph.

And the amendment to it that the judiciary committee tacked on changes all instances of the word cigarettes to cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The only exception the bill makes is for cigars.