SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 986

Smoking in Public Places
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SPONSOR
Gruters
FILED BY
Joe Gruters — District 22, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Appropriations Committee on Agriculture

Filed under Healthcare.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Smoking in Public Places; Defining the term “public place”; revising the definition of the terms “smoking” and “vape” or “vaping”; prohibiting smoking or vaping a marijuana product in public places in this state, with exceptions, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Bans smoking or vaping marijuana in public places statewide.

Prohibits smoking or vaping a marijuana product in any "public place," a newly defined term covering streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, and the common areas of schools, hospitals, offices, apartment buildings, restaurants, and stores.

Bans smoking or vaping marijuana in a "customs smoking room," the specially designated space where international travelers may otherwise smoke tobacco while held at an airport for entry processing.

Expands the definition of "smoking" -- previously limited to tobacco products -- to explicitly include lighted marijuana products, bringing marijuana smoking within the existing indoor-workplace smoking ban for the first time.

Extends the law's stated purpose of protecting people from secondhand tobacco smoke to cover secondhand marijuana smoke and vapor as well.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 New ban on smoking or vaping marijuana in public places majors. 386.204

AIBeyond the existing ban on smoking or vaping in an enclosed indoor workplace, the bill separately bans smoking or vaping a marijuana product in any public place, a term defined to reach far beyond indoor workplaces.

“smoke or vape a marijuana product in a public place” bill text, line 54 →
§ 2 Defines "public place" broadly for the first time majors. 386.203

AIThe bill defines 'public place' for the first time, reaching streets, sidewalks, highways, parks, and beaches, plus the common areas of schools, hospitals, government buildings, apartment buildings, offices, lodging, restaurants, transportation facilities, and retail shops.

“a place to which the public has access, including, but not limited to, streets; sidewalks; highways; public parks; public beaches” bill text, line 32 →
§ 3 Expands "smoking" to cover lighted marijuana products majors. 386.203

AIThe definition of 'smoking,' previously limited to lighted tobacco products with no catch-all for other substances, now expressly includes any lighted marijuana product, bringing marijuana cigarettes and similar items within the smoking ban for the first time.

“inhaling, exhaling, burning, carrying, or possessing any lighted tobacco or marijuana product” bill text, line 39 →
§ 4 Bans marijuana use in airport customs smoking rooms moderates. 386.205

AIEven inside a customs smoking room, the specially designated space at an airport where international travelers awaiting entry processing may smoke tobacco, smoking or vaping a marijuana product is now flatly prohibited at any time.

“Smoking or vaping of marijuana products is prohibited in the customs smoking room at any time.” bill text, line 69 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and...
1/21/2026
Now in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and...
1/20/2026
Favorable by Regulated Industries; YEAS 7 NAYS 0
1/15/2026
On Committee agenda-- Regulated Industries, 01/20/26, 9:30 am, 412...
1/13/2026
Introduced
1/7/2026
Referred to Regulated Industries; Appropriations Committee on...
12/19/2025
Filed
1 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 386.202
+2 / −0
s. 386.203
+57 / −2
s. 386.204
+11 / −0
s. 386.205
+17 / −0
s. 561.695
+3 / −3
s. 386.203
+0 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES