By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• Kentucky House panel advances cigar bar bill: HB 194 would allow new cigar bars to operate if they meet strict revenue, age, ventilation, and notice requirements.
• Local control remains a flashpoint: Health groups warn the bill weakens smoke-free laws, while supporters argue it creates a narrow, adult-only exemption.
• Floor vote next: The measure now heads to the full House after clearing committee, reviving a proposal that died in the Senate last year.

A Kentucky House committee has advanced legislation that would allow new cigar bars to operate statewide, reviving a proposal that stalled in the Senate last year amid public-health and local-control concerns.

House Bill 194, sponsored by Rep. Chris Lewis, R-Louisville, cleared the House Local Government Committee on Wednesday, setting the stage for a floor vote. The measure closely mirrors legislation Lewis introduced in 2025, which passed the House but failed to gain traction in the Senate.

As amended, HB 194 would establish a statutory definition of a “cigar bar,” allowing eligible businesses to permit indoor cigar smoking if they hold a valid alcoholic beverage license and derive at least 25% of annual gross revenue from cigars, pipe tobacco, related accessories, humidor rentals, or a combination of these. The original version of the bill set the threshold at 15%, but the requirement was raised in committee through a substitute.

Under the bill, cigar bars would be restricted to patrons aged 21 and older and would be prohibited from allowing cigarette smoking or the use of vaping products. Businesses would be required to install proper ventilation, post clear notices warning patrons about smoke exposure, and designate a smoke-free area to accommodate deliveries and other non-employee interactions.

Certain provisions would not apply to cigar bars already in operation.

“This is not about smoking cigars in a regular bar, your local bowling alley, restaurant, or any other public place that doesn’t currently allow smoking,” Lewis told committee members. “If you don’t want to be exposed to cigar smoke in a public place where smoke-free laws currently exist, nothing in this bill changes that.”

The bill also preserves a role for local governments, explicitly allowing municipalities to impose additional licensing requirements or to permit cigar bars to operate without an alcohol license. Still, critics argue the legislation would weaken local smoke-free ordinances and preempt municipal authority.

Health and advocacy organizations strongly opposed the committee vote. In a joint letter sent Tuesday, 11 groups—including the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, the Kentucky Medical Association, and Kentucky Youth Advocates—warned that HB 194 would “create a loophole that will severely weaken local smoke-free laws” and undermine public-health protections.

The letter also raised concerns about flavored cigars, arguing that indoor cigar bars could normalize cigar use among young people. “In communities that allow indoor cigar smoking, youth and young adults may perceive that it’s socially acceptable,” the groups wrote, noting that cigars are often sold in flavors that appeal to younger consumers.

Meanwhile, industry groups voiced support. In a letter backing the bill, the Premium Cigar Association said HB 194 includes “important safeguards that distinguish cigar bars from other establishments” and applies only to businesses intentionally designed to serve adult cigar consumers.

The committee vote was largely along party lines. Rep. George Brown Jr., D-Lexington, cast the lone “no” vote, citing concerns about local control, while Rep. Sarah Stalker, D-Louisville, voted in favor. The bill now heads to the full House for consideration.