Committee advances bill to bar online nitrous‑oxide sales to minors and increase penalties for large sellers

The subcommittee advanced AB 2,076, authored by Assemblymember Lowenthal, which would add nitrous oxide (commonly called laughing gas or "whippets") to the online products that require age verification and would increase penalties for large sellers that fail to comply.

"Nitrous oxide is cheap, easy to find and being delivered to doorsteps with little to no barrier," Assemblymember Lowenthal said, explaining that the bill aims to close a gap that allows juveniles to purchase hazardous products online. The measure would expand the Parents Accountability and Child Protection Act's list and grant courts discretion to impose enhanced penalties — up to $250,000 per violation for sellers with more than $25 million in annual gross revenue — when necessary to deter future violations.

Parents and law enforcement gave testimony: parent Kristen Heidelbach described how her 16‑year‑old obtained restricted products via gift cards, and Deputy District Attorney Matthew Gallagher said his county had seen a sharp rise in nitrous‑oxide cases and related harms. He cited local law‑enforcement data and urged the committee to take action.

Supporters included law‑enforcement and child‑safety advocates; business groups and retailers noted concerns and offered to continue working on amendments to limit unintended consequences for small businesses and clarify enforcement details. Committee members discussed tradeoffs, including whether prohibiting gift‑card purchases for a narrow list of particularly dangerous items was the best enforcement tool while minimizing impacts on adult consumer choice.

Action: The committee recorded a motion and roll call to advance AB 2,076; the transcript records that the bill was reported out of committee (it was left on call for absent members). Sponsors said they will continue technical conversations with stakeholders.

Next steps: AB 2,076 advances to the next committee for further consideration; authors and sponsors said they would continue to refine enforcement thresholds and carveouts for small retailers.