Key Takeaways
- West Virginia would make a one-time allocation of USD 2.9 million from its USD 7.9 million Juul settlement to youth tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
- House Bill 5691 passed the House of Delegates by 88 to 5 and the Senate unanimously.
- Juul reached a USD 7.9 million settlement with the state in 2023 and has paid about USD 3.3 million to date.
- Advocates said nearly 28% of high school students in West Virginia are using these products.
- Governor Patrick Morrisey has until Thursday to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without his signature.
2Firsts, March 19, 2026
According to West Virginia Watch., a bill completed during West Virginia’s 2026 regular legislative session would direct part of the state’s USD 7.9 million settlement with vaping device company Juul toward anti-smoking and vaping efforts. Health advocates are urging Governor Patrick Morrisey to sign it.
House Bill 5691 would make a one-time allocation of USD 2.9 million from the state’s settlement with Juul toward youth tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The bill passed the House of Delegates by a vote of 88 to 5 and passed the Senate unanimously.
According to the original report, citing the Associated Press, Juul settled with West Virginia for USD 7.9 million in 2023 over allegations that it marketed products to underage users. The settlement was reached by Patrick Morrisey when he was the state’s attorney general. The attorney general’s office said the company has paid the state about USD 3.3 million so far.
Doug Hogan, government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said the nearly USD 3 million would be a “vital investment” and could have a generational impact in the state.
According to a 2025 report from the American Lung Association, West Virginia has the highest adult smoking rate in the country at 20.4% and nearly the highest rate of new lung cancer cases at 76.3 per 100,000 people.
Another bill this session, House Bill 5108, would have created a continuing allocation from part of the interest from the state’s Rainy Day B fund toward anti-smoking efforts. The bill was considered by the House Finance Committee and referred to the House Banking and Insurance Committee, where it remained pending on Saturday, the end of the 60-day regular session.
The original report also said that during the session, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network presented lawmakers with more than 1,200 petitions supporting House Bill 5691, signed by people in every West Virginia county. In a letter sent to Morrisey, the group urged him to sign the bill.
In that letter, the organisation said signing the bill would mean using the Juul settlement funds as intended, to combat the impact of the youth tobacco epidemic.
The letter said: “The settlement is evidence that JUUL intentionally preyed upon young West Virginia kids with the sole goal of addicting a new generation to its products. JUUL entered the market early, commanding a substantial share of the marketplace, and was largely responsible for the surge in youth e-cigarette use and the growth in the percentage of youth who became addicted to tobacco products.”
Because the bill is a supplemental appropriation, the governor has five days to consider it. The original report said Morrisey has until Thursday to sign the legislation into law, veto it, or let it become law without his signature.
Image source: West Virginia Watch.
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