Congress appears poised to permanently prohibit the sale of tobacco to anyone under the age of 21.

The provision is expected to be included in a final year-end spending deal, according to a senior Democratic aide.

The provision, which is supported by many major public health groups, was included as part of a bipartisan and bicameral legislative package to fix surprise medical bills. But turf wars and partisanship have derailed that legislation and lawmakers wanted to ensure the tobacco provision survived intact.