The vapor industry is trying to combat grandfather date, which threatens many products currently on the market.

The vapor tobacco industry has requested that the language be added to a new spending bill that will change the grandfather date for electronic cigarettes and cigars under new rules that are being finalized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to a report from The Hill, the vapor tobacco industry is focusing its efforts on persuading the Senate Appropriations Committee to add the necessary language, because the FDA has claimed to lack the legal authority to change the grandfather date.

The current proposed rules state that all products that were put on the market after the grandfather date, Feb. 15, 2007, will now have to apply for approval. The approval process could be quite expensive for many companies.

The FDA’s final rule, which is currently being reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, could create a ban on nearly all vapor products on the market if the grandfather date is not amended, according to the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA).

Representative Tom Cole from Oklahoma, however, has introduced H.R. 2058 to the House in an attempt to change the Tobacco Control Act’s grandfather date to the date the FDA issues its final rule. The SFATA has stated its support for this bill.

The Hill reported that the House Appropriations Committee has already passed other efforts to prevent the FDA from using its funds to implement the Feb. 15, 2007 “deeming date”.