California's Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, voted for the bill.
The House passed a similar version of the measure earlier this year. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said Thursday that the changes were acceptable and that the House would pass the Senate bill rather than slow the process with a negotiated compromise.
The bill would allow the FDA to regulate and require disclosure of what is in tobacco products. It could put new limits on harmful ingredients and prohibit tobacco companies from promoting light cigarettes as safer alternatives.
The measure also would allow the agency to ban most flavorings, although menthol would still be permitted.
"The idea that you can have cherry-flavored cigarettes -- that's aimed at children," said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who led the debate on the bill in the absence of longtime tobacco foe Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who is battling brain cancer.
Many senators praised efforts to discourage young people from taking up the habit. The bill would ban outdoor tobacco ads within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds, and prohibit tobacco companies from sponsoring sports and entertainment events.
Kennedy praised the effort in a statement issued after the vote. "Miracles still happen," he said. "The United States Senate has finally said 'no' to big tobacco."
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janet.hook@latimes.com
Noam N. Levey in the Washington bureau contributed to this report.
