A Democratic bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Prevention Act aims to stop the misuse of nitrous oxide while keeping it available for essential uses. It gives the FDA power to regulate the packaging, labeling, and sale of nitrous oxide products. The bill bans flavored products and limits food-use canisters to 8 grams. It sets a minimum purchase age of 21 and restricts retail sales hours. Additionally, the act provides grants for education and prevention programs to reduce misuse.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +6
Would children be better off under this?
Prohibits sales to those under 21 and funds youth education campaigns.
- Scored +6
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
Provides protections and education to prevent substance misuse among youth and young adults.
- Scored +6
Would students be better off under this?
Directly targets the prevention of misuse through education and age restrictions.
The opposite· 3 of 4
- Scored -4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Increases compliance costs for retailers and introduces significant financial penalties for violations.
- Scored -4
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
Implements federal standards that may preempt or overlap with state-level regulations.
- Scored -3
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
Imposes new regulatory burdens, storage requirements, and potential civil penalties on retail store owners.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Public Health Warnings: The bill requires warning labels on products, including 8-gram cartridges, to inform people that inhalation can cause brain injury, suffocation, and death (Section 3(c)(2)).
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Protection of Minors: It prohibits the sale or transfer of nitrous oxide products to anyone under 21 years of age (Section 3(e)(1)(A)).
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Prevention and Education: The bill provides grants to schools, nonprofit organizations, and health departments to run youth outreach and education campaigns about the dangers of nitrous oxide misuse (Section 4(a), (b), and (c)).
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Emergency Response Training: Funds will be used to train law enforcement, poison control centers, and emergency departments on how to identify and respond to nitrous oxide misuse (Section 4(c)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Retailer Burdens: Store owners must store products in locked or restricted-access areas and ensure they are not visible to the public (Section 3(e)(2)).
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Financial Penalties: Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers face civil monetary penalties for violations, with some fines reaching up to $21,348 for manufacturers or $14,232 for repeat retail offenders (Section 3(b)(10)(B)).
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Purchase Restrictions: The Secretary is authorized to set a limit on the amount of nitrous oxide products an individual consumer can buy (Section 3(e)(3)).
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Limited Access Hours: Retail stores are prohibited from selling these products between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., unless they are for legitimate medical, industrial, or automotive use (Section 3(e)(1)(B)(ii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — Prohibits sales to those under 21 and funds youth education campaigns. Would students be better off under this? — Directly targets the prevention of misuse through education and age restrictions. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides protections and education to prevent substance misuse among youth and young adults. Would business owners be better off under this? — Increases compliance costs for retailers and introduces significant financial penalties for violations.
- Healthcare
- Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths? — While not focused on opioids, it uses a similar harm-reduction and prevention framework for substance misuse.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — Increases safety through mandatory warning labels and prevents the sale of flavored products. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Imposes new regulatory burdens, storage requirements, and potential civil penalties on retail store owners.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — Provides grants to schools for youth outreach and education campaigns on nitrous oxide misuse.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Expands FDA authority to regulate packaging, labeling, and sales of nitrous oxide products. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Requires annual reporting on enforcement actions and public health outcomes. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — Implements federal standards that may preempt or overlap with state-level regulations. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — Requires delivery sellers to collect full name, birth date, and address of purchasers.
- 7/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California