AN
ACT Relating to the sale of export cigarettes; amending RCW 82.24.110,
82.24.130, and 82.24.145; adding a new section to chapter 82.24 RCW; creating a
new section; prescribing penalties; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. (1)
Cigarette smoking presents serious public health concerns to the state and to
the citizens of the state. The surgeon general has determined that smoking
causes lung cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases and that there
are hundreds of thousands of tobacco-related deaths in the United States each
year. These diseases most often do not appear until many years after the
person in question begins smoking.
(2)
It is the policy of the state that consumers be adequately informed about the
adverse health effects of cigarette smoking by including warning notices on
each package of cigarettes.
(3)
It is the policy of the state that manufacturers and importers of cigarettes
not make any material misrepresentation of fact regarding the health
consequences of using cigarettes, including compliance with applicable federal
laws, regulations, and policies.
(4)
It is the intent of the legislature to align state law with federal laws,
regulations, and policies relating to the manufacture, importation, and
marketing of cigarettes, and in particular, the Federal Cigarette Labeling and
Advertising Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 et seq.) and 26 U.S.C. Sec. 5754.
(5)
The legislature finds that consumers and retailers purchasing cigarettes are
entitled to be fully informed about any adverse health effects of cigarette
smoking by inclusion of warning notices on each package of cigarettes and to be
assured through appropriate enforcement measures that cigarettes they purchase
were manufactured for consumption within the United States.
Sec.
2. RCW
82.24.110 and 1997 c 420 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
Each of the following acts is a gross misdemeanor and punishable as such:
(a)
To sell, except as a licensed wholesaler engaged in interstate commerce as to
the article being taxed herein, without the stamp first being affixed;
(b)
To sell in Washington as a wholesaler to a retailer who does not possess and is
required to possess a current cigarette retailer's license;
(c)
To use or have in possession knowingly or intentionally any forged or
counterfeit stamps;
(d)
For any person other than the department of revenue or its duly authorized
agent to sell any stamps not affixed to any of the articles taxed herein
whether such stamps are genuine or counterfeit;
(e)
To violate any of the provisions of this chapter;
(f)
To violate any lawful rule made and published by the department of revenue or
the board;
(g)
To use any stamps more than once;
(h)
To refuse to allow the department of revenue or its duly authorized agent, on
demand, to make full inspection of any place of business where any of the
articles herein taxed are sold or otherwise hinder or prevent such inspection;
(i)
Except as provided in this chapter, for any retailer to have in possession in
any place of business any of the articles herein taxed, unless the same have
the proper stamps attached;
(j)
For any person to make, use, or present or exhibit to the department of revenue
or its duly authorized agent, any invoice for any of the articles herein taxed
which bears an untrue date or falsely states the nature or quantity of the
goods therein invoiced;
(k)
For any wholesaler or retailer or his or her agents or employees to fail to
produce on demand of the department of revenue all invoices of all the articles
herein taxed or stamps bought by him or her or received in his or her place of
business within five years prior to such demand unless he or she can show by
satisfactory proof that the nonproduction of the invoices was due to causes
beyond his or her control;
(l)
For any person to receive in this state any shipment of any of the articles
taxed herein, when the same are not stamped, for the purpose of avoiding
payment of tax. It is presumed that persons other than dealers who purchase or
receive shipments of unstamped cigarettes do so to avoid payment of the tax
imposed herein;
(m)
For any person to possess or transport in this state a quantity of sixty
thousand cigarettes or less unless the proper stamps required by this chapter
have been affixed or unless: (i) Notice of the possession or transportation
has been given as required by RCW 82.24.250; (ii) the person transporting the
cigarettes has in actual possession invoices or delivery tickets which show the
true name and address of the consignor or seller, the true name and address of
the consignee or purchaser, and the quantity and brands of the cigarettes so
transported; and (iii) the cigarettes are consigned to or purchased by any
person in this state who is authorized by this chapter to possess unstamped
cigarettes in this state;
(n)
To possess, sell, or transport within this state any container or package of
cigarettes that does not comply with this chapter.
(2)
It is unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally to possess or to
transport in this state a quantity in excess of sixty thousand cigarettes
unless the proper stamps required by this chapter are affixed thereto or
unless: (a) Proper notice as required by RCW 82.24.250 has been given; (b) the
person transporting the cigarettes actually possesses invoices or delivery
tickets showing the true name and address of the consignor or seller, the true
name and address of the consignee or purchaser, and the quantity and brands of
the cigarettes so transported; and (c) the cigarettes are consigned to or
purchased by a person in this state who is authorized by this chapter to
possess unstamped cigarettes in this state. Violation of this section shall be
punished as a class C felony under Title 9A RCW.
(3)
All agents, employees, and others who aid, abet, or otherwise participate in
any way in the violation of the provisions of this chapter or in any of the
offenses described in this chapter shall be guilty and punishable as
principals, to the same extent as any wholesaler or retailer or any other
person violating this chapter.
Sec.
3. RCW
82.24.130 and 1997 c 420 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
The following are subject to seizure and forfeiture:
(a)
Subject to RCW 82.24.250, any articles taxed in this chapter that are found at
any point within this state, which articles are held, owned, or possessed by
any person, and that do not have the stamps affixed to the packages or
containers; and any container or package of cigarettes possessed or held for
sale that does not comply with this chapter.
(b)
All conveyances, including aircraft, vehicles, or vessels, which are used, or
intended for use, to transport, or in any manner to facilitate the
transportation, for the purpose of sale or receipt of property described in (a)
of this subsection, except:
(i)
A conveyance used by any person as a common or contract carrier having in
actual possession invoices or delivery tickets showing the true name and
address of the consignor or seller, the true name of the consignee or
purchaser, and the quantity and brands of the cigarettes transported, unless it
appears that the owner or other person in charge of the conveyance is a consenting
party or privy to a violation of this chapter;
(ii)
A conveyance subject to forfeiture under this section by reason of any act or
omission of which the owner thereof establishes to have been committed or
omitted without his or her knowledge or consent;
(iii)
A conveyance encumbered by a bona fide security interest if the secured party
neither had knowledge of nor consented to the act or omission.
(c)
Any vending machine used for the purpose of violating the provisions of this
chapter.
(2)
Property subject to forfeiture under this chapter may be seized by any agent of
the department authorized to collect taxes, any enforcement officer of the
board, or law enforcement officer of this state upon process issued by any
superior court or district court having jurisdiction over the property.
Seizure without process may be made if:
(a)
The seizure is incident to an arrest or a search under a search warrant or an
inspection under an administrative inspection warrant; or
(b)
The department, the board, or the law enforcement officer has probable cause to
believe that the property was used or is intended to be used in violation of
this chapter and exigent circumstances exist making procurement of a search
warrant impracticable.
(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section,
articles taxed in this chapter which are in the possession of a wholesaler or
retailer, licensed under Washington state law, for a period of time necessary
to affix the stamps after receipt of the articles, shall not be considered
contraband.
Sec.
4. RCW
82.24.145 and 1987 c 496 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
When
property is forfeited under this chapter the department may:
(1)
Retain the property or any part thereof for official use or upon application by
any law enforcement agency of this state, another state, or the District of
Columbia, or of the United States for the exclusive use of enforcing the
provisions of this chapter or the laws of any other state or the District of
Columbia or of the United States.
(2)
Sell the property at public auction to the highest bidder after due
advertisement, but the department before delivering any of the goods so seized
shall require the person to whom the property is sold to affix the proper
amount of stamps. The proceeds of the sale and all moneys forfeited under this
chapter shall be first applied to the payment of all proper expenses of any
investigation leading to the seizure and of the proceedings for forfeiture and
sale, including expenses of seizure, maintenance of custody, advertising, and
court costs. The balance of the proceeds and all moneys shall be deposited in
the general fund of the state. Proper expenses of investigation includes costs
incurred by any law enforcement agency or any federal, state, or local agency.
(3)
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section,
cigarettes seized for a violation of section 5 of this act shall be destroyed.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 5. A
new section is added to chapter 82.24 RCW to read as follows:
(1)
No stamp may be affixed to, or made upon, any container or package of
cigarettes if:
(a)
The container or package differs in any respect with the requirements of the
Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 et seq.)
for the placement of labels, warnings, or any other information upon a package
of cigarettes that is to be sold within the United States;
(b)
The container or package has been imported into the United States after January
1, 2000, in violation of 26 U.S.C. Sec. 5754;
(c)
The container or package, including a container of individually stamped
containers or packages, is labeled "For Export Only," "U.S. Tax
Exempt," "For Use Outside U.S.," or similar wording indicating
that the manufacturer did not intend that the product be sold in the United
States; or
(d)
The container or package has been altered by adding or deleting the wording,
labels, or warnings described in (a) or (c) of this subsection.
(2)
In addition to the penalty and forfeiture provisions otherwise provided for in
this chapter, a violation of this section is a deceptive act or practice under
the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6. If
any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is
held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to
other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. This
act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or
safety, or support of the state government and its existing public
institutions, and takes effect immediately.
