June 2 (Bloomberg) -- Legislation to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate.

The Senate voted 84-11 to limit debate on the measure. Sponsored by Senator Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the Senate Health Committee, the bill would let the government limit nicotine levels on tobacco products, though it couldn’t require them to be nicotine-free. Flavored cigarettes would be banned, and the FDA could restrict other additives.

The government would revise warning labels and impose new advertising requirements.

The House passed similar legislation in April. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the FDA couldn’t regulate tobacco without congressional approval.

Earlier this year, over Republican objections, Congress increased the federal cigarette tax to $1.01 from 39 cents to pay for an expanded health-insurance program for children. President Barack Obama signed the measure in February.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: June 2, 2009 11:28 EDT