House File 167 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  McCARTHY and BAUDLER


    Passed House, Date               Passed Senate,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the regulation of tobacco product retailers,
  2    and making penalties applicable.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 1597HH 81
  5 pf/cf/24

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 453A.3, subsection 1, paragraphs a and
  1  2 b, Code 2005, are amended to read as follows:
  1  3    a.  A person, other than a retailer as defined in section
  1  4 453A.1 or 453A.42, who violates section 453A.2, subsection 1,
  1  5 is guilty of a simple misdemeanor.
  1  6    b.  An employee of a retailer as defined in section 453A.1
  1  7 or 453A.42, who violates section 453A.2, subsection 1, commits
  1  8 a simple misdemeanor punishable as a scheduled violation under
  1  9 section 805.8C, subsection 3, paragraph "b".
  1 10    Sec. 2.  Section 453A.5, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2005,
  1 11 are amended to read as follows:
  1 12    1.  The alcoholic beverages division of the department of
  1 13 commerce shall develop a tobacco compliance employee training
  1 14 program not to exceed two hours in length for employees and
  1 15 prospective employees of tobacco retailers, as defined in
  1 16 sections 453A.1 and 453A.42, to inform the employees about
  1 17 state and federal laws and regulations regarding the sale of
  1 18 cigarettes and tobacco products to persons under eighteen
  1 19 years of age and compliance with and the importance of laws
  1 20 regarding the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to
  1 21 persons under eighteen years of age.
  1 22    2.  The tobacco compliance employee training program shall
  1 23 be made available to employees and prospective employees of
  1 24 tobacco retailers, as defined in sections 453A.1 and 453A.42,
  1 25 at no cost to the employee, the prospective employee, or the
  1 26 retailer, and in a manner which is as convenient and
  1 27 accessible to the extent practicable throughout the state so
  1 28 as to encourage attendance.  Contingent upon the availability
  1 29 of specified funds for provision of the program, the division
  1 30 shall schedule the program on at least a monthly basis and the
  1 31 program shall be available at a location in at least a
  1 32 majority of counties.
  1 33    Sec. 3.  Section 453A.22, Code 2005, is amended by adding
  1 34 the following new subsection:
  1 35    NEW SUBSECTION.  8.  For the purposes of this section,
  2  1 "retailer" means retailer as defined in sections 453A.1 and
  2  2 453A.42 and "retail permit" includes permits issued to
  2  3 retailers under division I or division II of this chapter.
  2  4    Sec. 4.  NEW SECTION.  453A.47A  RETAILERS == PERMITS ==
  2  5 FEES == PENALTIES.
  2  6    1.  PERMITS REQUIRED.  A person shall not engage in the
  2  7 business of a retailer of tobacco products at any place of
  2  8 business without first having received a permit as a tobacco
  2  9 products retailer.
  2 10    2.  NO SALES WITHOUT PERMIT.  A retailer shall not sell any
  2 11 tobacco products until an application has been filed and the
  2 12 fee prescribed paid for a permit and until such permit is
  2 13 obtained and only while such permit is not suspended,
  2 14 unrevoked, or unexpired.
  2 15    3.  NUMBER OF PERMITS.  An application shall be filed and a
  2 16 permit obtained for each place of business owned or operated
  2 17 by a retailer.
  2 18    4.  RETAILER == CIGARETTES AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS.  A
  2 19 retailer, as defined in section 453A.1, who holds a permit
  2 20 under division I of this chapter is not required to also
  2 21 obtain a retailer permit under this division.  However, if a
  2 22 retailer, as defined in section 453A.1, only holds a permit
  2 23 under division I of this chapter and that permit is suspended,
  2 24 revoked, or expired, the retailer shall not sell any
  2 25 cigarettes or tobacco products during the time which the
  2 26 permit is suspended, revoked, or expired.
  2 27    5.  SEPARATE PERMIT.  A separate retail permit shall be
  2 28 required of a distributor or subjobber if the distributor or
  2 29 subjobber sells tobacco products at retail.
  2 30    6.  ISSUANCE.  Cities shall issue retail permits to
  2 31 retailers within their respective limits.  County boards of
  2 32 supervisors shall issue retail permits to retailers in their
  2 33 respective counties, outside of the corporate limits of
  2 34 cities.  The city or county shall submit a duplicate of any
  2 35 application for a retail permit and any retail permit issued
  3  1 by the entity under this section to the Iowa department of
  3  2 public health within thirty days of issuance.
  3  3    7.  FEES == EXPIRATION.
  3  4    a.  All permits provided for in this division shall expire
  3  5 on June 30 of each year.  A permit shall not be granted or
  3  6 issued until the applicant has paid the fees provided for in
  3  7 this section for the period ending June 30 next, to the city
  3  8 or county granting the permit.  The fee for retail permits is
  3  9 as follows when the permit is granted during the months of
  3 10 July, August, or September:
  3 11    (1)  In places outside any city, fifty dollars.
  3 12    (2)  In cities of less than fifteen thousand population,
  3 13 seventy=five dollars.
  3 14    (3)  In cities of fifteen thousand or more population, one
  3 15 hundred dollars.
  3 16    b.  If any permit is granted during the months of October,
  3 17 November, or December, the fee shall be three=fourths of the
  3 18 above maximum schedule; if granted during the months of
  3 19 January, February, or March, one=half of the maximum schedule,
  3 20 and if granted during the months of April, May, or June, one=
  3 21 fourth of the maximum schedule.
  3 22    8.  REFUNDS.
  3 23    a.  An unrevoked permit for which the retailer paid the
  3 24 full annual fee may be surrendered during the first nine
  3 25 months of the year to the officer issuing it, and the city or
  3 26 county granting the permit shall make refunds to the retailer
  3 27 as follows:
  3 28    (1)  Three=fourths of the annual fee if the surrender is
  3 29 made during July, August, or September.
  3 30    (2)  One=half of the annual fee if the surrender is made
  3 31 during October, November, or December.
  3 32    (3)  One=fourth of the annual fee if the surrender is made
  3 33 during January, February, or March.
  3 34    b.  An unrevoked permit for which the retailer has paid
  3 35 three=fourths of a full annual fee may be surrendered during
  4  1 the first six months of the period covered by the payment, and
  4  2 the city or county shall make refunds to the retailer as
  4  3 follows:
  4  4    (1)  A sum equal to one=half of an annual fee if the
  4  5 surrender is made during October, November, or December.
  4  6    (2)  A sum equal to one=fourth of an annual fee if the
  4  7 surrender is made during January, February, or March.
  4  8    c.  An unrevoked permit for which the retailer has paid
  4  9 one=half of a full annual fee may be surrendered during the
  4 10 first three months of the period covered by the payment, and
  4 11 the city or county shall refund to the retailer a sum equal to
  4 12 one=fourth of an annual fee.
  4 13    9.  APPLICATION.  Retailer permits shall be issued only
  4 14 upon applications, accompanied by the fee indicated above,
  4 15 made upon forms furnished by the department upon written
  4 16 request.  The failure to furnish such forms shall be no excuse
  4 17 for the failure to file the form unless absolute refusal is
  4 18 shown.  The forms shall specify:
  4 19    a.  The manner under which the retailer transacts or
  4 20 intends to transact business as a retailer.
  4 21    b.  The principal office, residence, and place of business,
  4 22 for which the permit is to apply.
  4 23    c.  If the applicant is not an individual, the principal
  4 24 officers or members of the applicant, not to exceed three, and
  4 25 their addresses.
  4 26    d.  Such other information as the director shall by rules
  4 27 prescribe.
  4 28    10.  RECORDS AND REPORTS OF RETAILERS.
  4 29    a.  The director shall prescribe the forms necessary for
  4 30 the efficient administration of this section and may require
  4 31 uniform books and records to be used and kept by each retailer
  4 32 or other person as deemed necessary.
  4 33    b.  Every retailer shall, when requested by the department,
  4 34 make additional reports as the department deems necessary and
  4 35 proper and shall at the request of the department furnish full
  5  1 and complete information pertaining to any transaction of the
  5  2 retailer involving the purchase or sale or use of tobacco
  5  3 products.
  5  4    11.  PENALTIES.  The permit suspension and revocation
  5  5 provisions and the civil penalties established in section
  5  6 453A.22 shall apply to retailers under this division, in
  5  7 addition to any other penalties imposed under this division.
  5  8                           EXPLANATION
  5  9    This bill establishes permit requirements for tobacco
  5 10 product retailers.  The bill prohibits a person from engaging
  5 11 in the business of a retailer of tobacco products at any place
  5 12 of business without first having received a permit as a
  5 13 tobacco product retailer.  The bill provides for issuance of a
  5 14 permit by a city or county board of supervisors, establishes
  5 15 fees for a permit, provides for refunds, provides for
  5 16 application for a permit, and provides that a cigarette
  5 17 retailer who holds a permit is not required to also obtain a
  5 18 tobacco product retailer permit.  The bill authorizes the
  5 19 director of revenue to prescribe the forms necessary for the
  5 20 efficient administration of the tobacco product retailer
  5 21 permit section and authorizes the director to require uniform
  5 22 books and records to be used and kept by each retailer or
  5 23 other person as deemed necessary.  The bill requires tobacco
  5 24 product retailers, when requested by the department of revenue
  5 25 and finance, to make additional reports as the department
  5 26 deems necessary and proper and, at the request of the
  5 27 department, to furnish full and complete information
  5 28 pertaining to any transaction of the retailer involving the
  5 29 purchase or sale or use of tobacco products.
  5 30    The bill also makes existing penalties and permit
  5 31 suspension and revocation provisions for cigarette retailers
  5 32 applicable to tobacco product retailers.  The bill makes
  5 33 conforming changes in the Code to reflect the establishment of
  5 34 permit provisions for tobacco product retailers.
  5 35 LSB 1597HH 81
  6  1 pf/cf/24