§ 47-25-4 — Certification and product change

(a) Each manufacturer shall submit to the state Fire Marshal a written certification attesting that:

(1) Each cigarette listed in the certification has been tested in accordance with section three of this article; and

(2) Each cigarette listed in the certification meets the performance standard set forth in section three of this article.

(b) Each cigarette listed in the certification shall be described with the following information:

(1) Brand or trade name on the package;

(2) Style, such as light or ultra light;

(3) Length in millimeters;

(4) Circumference in millimeters;

(5) Flavor, if applicable;

(6) Filter or nonfilter;

(7) Package description, such as soft pack or box;

(8) Marking pursuant to section five of this article;

(9) The name, address and telephone number of the laboratory, if different from the manufacturer that conducted the test; and

(10) The date that the testing occurred.

(c) The certifications shall be made available to the state Fire Marshal for the purposes of ensuring compliance with this section.

(d) Each cigarette certified under this section shall be recertified every three years.

(e) At the time it submits a written certification under this section, a manufacturer shall pay a fee of $1,000 to the state Fire Marshal for each brand family of cigarettes listed in the certification. The fee shall apply to all cigarettes within the brand family certified and shall include any new cigarette certified within the brand family during the three-year certification period.

(f) All moneys collected as certification fees submitted by manufacturers shall be deposited in a special account in the state Treasury to be known as the Reduced Cigarette Ignition Propensity Standard and Fire Prevention Act Fund. The fund shall be administered by the Tax Commissioner. Expenditures from the fund are not authorized from collections, but are to be made only in accordance with appropriation by the Legislature and in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twelve of this code and upon the fulfillment of the provisions set forth in article two, chapter eleven-b of this code: Provided, That for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, expenditures are authorized from collections rather than pursuant to an appropriation by the Legislature. The fund shall, in addition to any other moneys made available for those purposes, be equally divided and distributed without appropriation between the state Fire Marshal and the State Tax Commissioner to support fire prevention activities and processing, testing, enforcement and oversight activities under this article.

(g) If a manufacturer has certified a cigarette pursuant to this section and thereafter makes any change to the cigarette that is likely to alter the cigarette's compliance with the reduced cigarette ignition propensity standards required by this article, that cigarette shall not be sold or offered for sale in this state until the manufacturer retests the cigarette in accordance with the testing standards set forth in section three of this article and maintains records of that retesting as required by section three of this article. Any altered cigarette which does not meet the performance standard set forth in section three of this article may not be sold in this state.

Legislative History

2009 Reg. Sess., SB456; 2008 Reg. Sess., SB534