Delegate: tobacco retailers would use ID scanners under new bill; grants proposed to help small businesses

A bill that would require tobacco retailers to use a specified identification scanner to verify age and identity passed after proponents described technology modeled on equipment used at SeaTac International Airport and said grants would support small businesses.

Gabby Donaldson, speaking as a sponsor/lobbyist, described the amendment to the age-identification statute that would require employees at licensed tobacco sellers to check IDs from a list of accepted documents and to use a scanner specified in the bill. "Per scanner is around $300," Donaldson said in response to questions about cost, and she said there will be grants to help small businesses obtain the equipment.

Delegates questioned whether specifying a particular scanner model statewide could create a monopoly and whether tribal IDs would be compatible; Donaldson responded that the model she cited can scan tribal identification. Some delegates flagged the enactment period language as a likely typo (90 days vs. one year) and asked about grant funding sources; Donaldson cited Department of Commerce grants and other local sources as possibilities.

Next steps: the bill passed the chamber by majority. Implementation will require grant administration and specification of approved scanner models and vendor eligibility; delegates asked for further fiscal and procurement clarity.