ENDS Chinese Vapes Act of 2026

Tom Cotton

Republican · AR · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

No cosponsors on record. Bills can pass without cosponsors — this often means the sponsor introduced the bill alone, either because it's a messaging bill, a chairman's mark, or simply early in the legislative cycle.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

2026-04-15

Source: Congress.gov

This bill would increase financial penalties for people and companies that illegally import or carelessly bring vaping devices and e-cigarettes into the United States, with harsher fines for repeat offenders. The penalties would get progressively steeper each time someone violates the rule, encouraging importers to follow the law or face increasingly expensive consequences. The measure targets both intentional smuggling and negligent violations by customs violators and importers.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4303 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4303 To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to provide for escalating civil penalties for fraudulent or negligent importation of unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery systems. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 15 (legislative day, April 14), 2026 Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to provide for escalating civil penalties for fraudulent or negligent importation of unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery systems. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Eliminating Nefarious Distribution of Smuggled Chinese Vapes Act of 2026'' or the ``ENDS Chinese Vapes Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. INCREASED CIVIL PENALTIES FOR FRAUDULENT, GROSSLY NEGLIGENT, OR NEGLIGENT ENTRY OF UNAUTHORIZED ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS. (a) In General.--The Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1304 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 592A the following: ``SEC. 592B. CIVIL PENALTIES FOR FRAUDULENT, GROSSLY NEGLIGENT, OR NEGLIGENT ENTRY OF UNAUTHORIZED ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS. ``(a) In General.--It shall be unlawful for any person to enter, introduce, or attempt to enter or introduce an unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system into the customs territory of the United States. ``(b) Penalties.-- ``(1) In general.--A person who violates subsection (a), whether through fraud, gross negligence, or negligence, shall be subject (subject to paragraph (2)) to the following penalties: ``(A) For a violation involving fraud, not to exceed $5,000 per unit of unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system. ``(B) For a violation involving gross negligence, not to exceed $1,000 per unit of unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system. ``(C) For a violation involving negligence, not to exceed $500 per unit of unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system. ``(D) If the shipment containing the unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system involved transshipment through a third country for purposes of evading applicable duties, falsifying or concealing the country of origin, or any other scheme designed to evade applicable customs laws, an amount not to exceed twice the amount of the penalty otherwise applicable to the violation. ``(E) If the violation is the second or subsequent violation of section (a) by the person during a 3-year period, an amount not to exceed 3 times the amount of the penalty otherwise applicable to the violation. ``(F) If a violation is described in both subparagraphs (D) and (E), an amount not to exceed 5 times the amount of the penalty otherwise applicable to the violation. ``(2) Maximum penalty.--The penalties imposed under paragraph (1) with respect to a shipment containing an unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system may not exceed an amount that is 1,000 percent of the estimated retail value in the United States of the shipment. ``(3) Calculation of entries.--Each entry or attempted entry in violation of subsection (a) shall constitute a single violation, regardless of the number of units contained in the entry. ``(c) Procedures.--The procedures set forth in section 592 for the assessment, mitigation, collection, and judicial review of penalties shall apply to penalties imposed under this section, except as otherwise provided in this section. ``(d) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Justice, or any other Federal agency to pursue any civil, criminal, or administrative remedy otherwise available under law with respect to unauthorized electronic nicotine…

delivery systems. ``(e) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Estimated retail value.--The term `estimated retail value in the United States', with respect to a shipment, means the aggregate price at which the unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery systems in the shipment would be sold to end consumers in the ordinary course of trade in the United States, as determined by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection by regulation. ``(2) Person.-- ``(A) In general.--The term `person' includes any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, or other entity. ``(B) Common ownership.--For purposes of subsection (b)(1)(E), 2 or more persons shall be treated as a single person if those persons are under common ownership of 25 percent or more, share a majority of officers or directors, or are otherwise under common control, as determined by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection by regulation. ``(3) Unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system.-- The term `unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system' means an electronic nicotine delivery system that is not authorized under section 910 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 387j), or any other provision of that Act, for introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce. ``(4) Unit.--The term `unit' means each individual electronic nicotine delivery system device, cartridge, pod, or other discrete article intended for separate consumer use.''. (b) Applicability.--Section 592B of the Tariff Act of 1930 applies to the entry or introduction of, or attempt to enter or introduce, an unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery system into the customs territory of the United States after the date of the enactment of this Act. <all>

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