Bill Text: TX SB648 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the distribution, possession, purchase, consumption, and receipt of cigarettes and tobacco products; providing penalties.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-24 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB648 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-SB648-Introduced.html
  84R962 KKR-D
 
  By: Uresti, Hinojosa, Huffman S.B. No. 648
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the distribution, possession, purchase, consumption,
  and receipt of cigarettes and tobacco products; providing
  penalties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 161.081, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as follows:
               (1-a)  "Minor" means a person under 19 years of age.
         SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 161.082, Health and
  Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 161.082.  SALE OF CIGARETTES OR TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO
  PERSONS YOUNGER THAN 19 [18] YEARS OF AGE PROHIBITED; PROOF OF AGE
  REQUIRED.
         SECTION 3.  Sections 161.082(a) and (e), Health and Safety
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person commits an offense if the person, with criminal
  negligence:
               (1)  sells, gives, or causes to be sold or given a
  cigarette or tobacco product to someone who is younger than 19 [18]
  years of age; or
               (2)  sells, gives, or causes to be sold or given a
  cigarette or tobacco product to another person who intends to
  deliver it to someone who is younger than 19 [18] years of age.
         (e)  A proof of identification satisfies the requirements of
  Subsection (d) if it contains a physical description and photograph
  consistent with the person's appearance, purports to establish that
  the person is 19 [18] years of age or older, and was issued by a
  governmental agency. The proof of identification may include a
  driver's license issued by this state or another state, a passport,
  or an identification card issued by a state or the federal
  government.
         SECTION 4.  Section 161.084(b), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The sign must include the statement:
         PURCHASING OR ATTEMPTING TO PURCHASE TOBACCO PRODUCTS BY A
  MINOR UNDER 19 [18] YEARS OF AGE IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. SALE OR
  PROVISION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO A MINOR UNDER 19 [18] YEARS OF AGE
  IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. UPON CONVICTION, A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR,
  INCLUDING A FINE OF UP TO $500, MAY BE IMPOSED.  VIOLATIONS MAY BE
  REPORTED TO THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE BY CALLING (insert
  toll-free telephone number).  PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NOT SMOKE.  
  SMOKERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE BABIES WHO ARE BORN PREMATURE OR
  WITH LOW BIRTH WEIGHT.
         SECTION 5.  Sections 161.085(a) and (b), Health and Safety
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Each retailer shall notify each individual employed by
  that retailer who is to be engaged in retail sales of cigarettes or
  tobacco products that state law:
               (1)  prohibits the sale or distribution of cigarettes
  or tobacco products to any person who is younger than 19 [18] years
  of age as provided by Section 161.082 and that a violation of that
  section is a Class C misdemeanor; and
               (2)  requires each person who sells cigarettes or
  tobacco products at retail or by vending machine to post a warning
  notice as provided by Section 161.084, requires each employee to
  ensure that the appropriate sign is always properly displayed while
  that employee is exercising the employee's duties, and provides
  that a violation of Section 161.084 is a Class C misdemeanor.
         (b)  The notice required by this section [Subsection (a)]
  must be provided within 72 hours of the date an individual begins to
  engage in retail sales of cigarettes or tobacco products. The
  individual shall signify that the individual has received the
  notice required by this section [Subsection (a)] by signing a form
  stating that the law has been fully explained, that the individual
  understands the law, and that the individual, as a condition of
  employment, agrees to comply with the law.
         SECTION 6.  Section 161.086(b), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Subsection (a) does not apply to:
               (1)  a facility or business that is not open to persons
  younger than 19 [18] years of age at any time;
               (2)  that part of a facility or business that is a
  humidor or other enclosure designed to store cigars in a
  climate-controlled environment; or
               (3)  a premises for which a person holds a package store
  permit issued under the Alcoholic Beverage Code.
         SECTION 7.  Sections 161.087(a) and (b), Health and Safety
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person may not distribute to persons younger than 19
  [18] years of age:
               (1)  a free sample of a cigarette or tobacco product; or
               (2)  a coupon or other item that the recipient may use
  to receive a free or discounted cigarette or tobacco product or a
  sample cigarette or tobacco product.
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), a permit holder
  may not accept or redeem, offer to accept or redeem, or hire a
  person to accept or redeem a coupon or other item that the recipient
  may use to receive a free or discounted cigarette or tobacco product
  or a sample cigarette or tobacco product if the recipient is younger
  than 19 [18] years of age. A coupon or other item that such a
  recipient may use to receive a free or discounted cigarette or
  tobacco product or a sample cigarette or tobacco product may not be
  redeemable through mail or courier delivery.
         SECTION 8.  Sections 161.088(b) and (d), Health and Safety
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The comptroller may make block grants to counties and
  municipalities to be used by local law enforcement agencies to
  enforce this subchapter in a manner that can reasonably be expected
  to reduce the extent to which cigarettes and tobacco products are
  sold or distributed to persons who are younger than 19 [18] years of
  age. At least annually, random unannounced inspections shall be
  conducted at various locations where cigarettes and tobacco
  products are sold or distributed to ensure compliance with this
  subchapter. The comptroller shall rely, to the fullest extent
  possible, on local law enforcement agencies to enforce this
  subchapter.
         (d)  The use of a person younger than 19 [18] years of age to
  act as a minor decoy to test compliance with this subchapter shall
  be conducted in a fashion that promotes fairness. A person may be
  enlisted by the comptroller or a local law enforcement agency to act
  as a minor decoy only if the following requirements are met:
               (1)  written parental consent is obtained for the use
  of a person younger than 18 years of age to act as a minor decoy to
  test compliance with this subchapter;
               (2)  at the time of the inspection, the minor decoy is
  younger than 18 [17] years of age;
               (3)  the minor decoy has an appearance that would cause
  a reasonably prudent seller of cigarettes or tobacco products to
  request identification and proof of age;
               (4)  the minor decoy carries either the minor's own
  identification showing the minor's correct date of birth or carries
  no identification, and a minor decoy who carries identification
  presents it on request to any seller of cigarettes or tobacco
  products; and
               (5)  the minor decoy answers truthfully any questions
  about the minor's age.
         SECTION 9.  Section 161.251, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as follows:
               (1-a)  "Minor" means a person under 19 years of age.
         SECTION 10.  Sections 161.252(a), (b), and (c), Health and
  Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  An individual who is younger than 19 [18] years of age
  commits an offense if the individual:
               (1)  possesses, purchases, consumes, or accepts a
  cigarette or tobacco product; or
               (2)  falsely represents himself or herself to be 19
  [18] years of age or older by displaying proof of age that is false,
  fraudulent, or not actually proof of the individual's own age in
  order to obtain possession of, purchase, or receive a cigarette or
  tobacco product.
         (b)  It is an exception to the application of this section
  that the individual younger than 19 [18] years of age possessed the
  cigarette or tobacco product in the presence of:
               (1)  an adult parent, a guardian, or a spouse of the
  individual; or
               (2)  an employer of the individual, if possession or
  receipt of the tobacco product is required in the performance of the
  employee's duties as an employee.
         (c)  It is an exception to the application of this section
  that the individual younger than 19 [18] years of age is
  participating in an inspection or test of compliance in accordance
  with Section 161.088.
         SECTION 11.  Section 161.452(b), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A person taking a delivery sale order shall comply with:
               (1)  the age verification requirements prescribed by
  Section 161.453;
               (2)  the disclosure requirements prescribed by Section
  161.454;
               (3)  [the shipping requirements prescribed by Section
  161.455;
               [(4)]  the registration and reporting requirements
  prescribed by Section 161.456;
               (4) [(5)]  the tax collection requirements prescribed
  by Section 161.457; and
               (5) [(6)]  each law of this state that generally
  applies to sales of cigarettes that occur entirely within this
  state, including a law:
                     (A)  imposing a tax; or
                     (B)  prescribing a permitting or tax-stamping
  requirement.
         SECTION 12.  Section 161.453(a), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A person may not mail or ship cigarettes in connection
  with a delivery sale order unless before mailing or shipping the
  cigarettes the person accepting the delivery sale order first:
               (1)  obtains from the prospective customer a
  certification that includes:
                     (A)  reliable confirmation that the purchaser is
  at least 19 [18] years of age; and
                     (B)  a statement signed by the prospective
  purchaser in writing and under penalty of law:
                           (i)  certifying the prospective purchaser's
  address and date of birth;
                           (ii)  confirming that the prospective
  purchaser understands that signing another person's name to the
  certification is illegal, that sales of cigarettes to an individual
  under the age prescribed by Section 161.082 are illegal under state
  law, and that the purchase of cigarettes by an individual under that
  age is illegal under state law; and
                           (iii)  confirming that the prospective
  purchaser wants to receive mailings from a tobacco company;
               (2)  makes a good faith effort to verify the
  information contained in the certification provided by the
  prospective purchaser under Subdivision (1) against a commercially
  available database or obtains a photocopy or other image of a
  government-issued identification bearing a photograph of the
  prospective purchaser and stating the date of birth or age of the
  prospective purchaser;
               (3)  sends to the prospective purchaser, by e-mail or
  other means, a notice that complies with Section 161.454; and
               (4)  for an order made over the Internet or as a result
  of an advertisement, receives payment for the delivery sale from
  the prospective purchaser by a credit or debit card that has been
  issued in the purchaser's name or by check.
         SECTION 13.  Section 161.455, Health and Safety Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 14.  (a)  The changes in law made by this Act to
  Subchapters H, N, and R, Chapter 161, Health and Safety Code, apply
  only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
  Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
  the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
  before that date.
         (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
  Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 15.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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