HOUSE BILL No. 4997

 

September 19, 2013, Introduced by Reps. Outman, Muxlow, Yonker, Hooker, Denby, Rogers, Kelly, Glardon, Johnson, Lyons, Pettalia, Genetski, Franz, Victory, Pagel, Daley, Poleski, Lori, MacGregor, Walsh and O'Brien and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

 

     A bill to amend 1915 PA 31, entitled

 

"Youth tobacco act,"

 

by amending the title and sections 1, 2, and 4 (MCL 722.641,

 

722.642, and 722.644), as amended by 2006 PA 236.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

TITLE

 

     An act to prohibit the selling, giving, or furnishing of

 

tobacco products, tobacco-derived products, and vapor products to

 

minors; to prohibit the purchase, possession, or use of tobacco

 

products, tobacco-derived products, and vapor products by minors;

 

to regulate the retail sale of tobacco products, tobacco-derived

 

products, and vapor products; to prescribe penalties; and to

 

prescribe the powers and duties of certain state agencies and

 

departments.

 


     Sec. 1. (1) A person shall not sell, give, or furnish a

 

tobacco product, tobacco-derived product, vapor product, or

 

component of a vapor product to a minor. A person who violates this

 

subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not

 

more than $50.00 for each violation.

 

     (2) A person who sells tobacco products, tobacco-derived

 

products, vapor products, or components of vapor products at retail

 

shall post, in a place close to the point of sale and conspicuous

 

to both employees and customers, a sign produced by the department

 

of community health that includes the following statement:

 

     "The purchase of a tobacco products product, tobacco-derived

 

product, vapor product, or component of a vapor product by a minor

 

under 18 years of age and the provision of a tobacco products

 

product, tobacco-derived product, vapor product, or component of a

 

vapor product to a minor are prohibited by law. A minor who

 

unlawfully purchasing purchases or using uses a tobacco products

 

product, tobacco-derived product, vapor product, or component of a

 

vapor product is subject to criminal penalties.".

 

     (3) If the sign required under subsection (2) is more than 6

 

feet from the point of sale, it shall be 5-1/2 inches by 8-1/2

 

inches and the statement required under subsection (2) shall be

 

printed in 36-point boldfaced type. If the sign required under

 

subsection (2) is 6 feet or less from the point of sale, it shall

 

be 2 inches by 4 inches and the statement required under subsection

 

(2) shall be printed in 20-point boldfaced type.

 

     (4) The department of community health shall produce the sign

 

required under subsection (2) and have adequate copies of the sign

 


ready for distribution to licensed wholesalers, secondary

 

wholesalers, and unclassified acquirers of tobacco products and to

 

persons who sell tobacco-derived products, vapor products, or

 

components of vapor products at retail free of charge. Licensed

 

wholesalers, secondary wholesalers, and unclassified acquirers of

 

tobacco products shall obtain copies of the sign from the

 

department of community health and distribute them free of charge,

 

upon request, to persons who sell tobacco products and who are

 

subject to subsection (2). The department of community health shall

 

provide copies of the sign free of charge, upon request, to persons

 

subject to subsection (2) who do not purchase their supply of

 

tobacco products from wholesalers, secondary wholesalers, and

 

unclassified acquirers of tobacco products licensed under the

 

tobacco products tax act, 1993 PA 327, MCL 205.421 to 205.436, and

 

to persons who sell tobacco-derived products, vapor products, or

 

components of vapor products at retail.

 

     (5) It is an affirmative defense to a charge under subsection

 

(1) that the defendant had in force at the time of arrest and

 

continues to have in force a written policy to prevent the sale of

 

tobacco products, tobacco-derived products, vapor products, or

 

components of vapor products, as applicable, to persons under 18

 

years of age and that the defendant enforced and continues to

 

enforce the policy. A defendant who proposes to offer evidence of

 

the affirmative defense described in this subsection shall file and

 

serve notice of the defense, in writing, upon with the court and

 

serve a copy of the notice on the prosecuting attorney. The

 

defendant shall serve the notice shall be served not less than 14

 


days before the date set for trial.

 

     (6) A prosecuting attorney who proposes to offer testimony to

 

rebut the affirmative defense described in subsection (5) shall

 

file and serve a notice of rebuttal, in writing, upon with the

 

court and serve a copy of the notice on the defendant. The

 

prosecuting attorney shall serve the notice shall be served not

 

less than 7 days before the date set for trial and shall contain

 

include in the notice the name and address of each rebuttal

 

witness.

 

     (7) Subsection (1) does not apply to the handling or

 

transportation of a tobacco product, tobacco-derived product, vapor

 

product, or component of a vapor product by a minor under the terms

 

of that the minor's employment.

 

     Sec. 2. (1) Subject to subsection (3), a minor shall not do

 

any of the following:

 

     (a) Purchase or attempt to purchase a tobacco product,

 

tobacco-derived product, vapor product, or component of a vapor

 

product.

 

     (b) Possess or attempt to possess a tobacco product, tobacco-

 

derived product, vapor product, or component of a vapor product.

 

     (c) Use a tobacco product, tobacco-derived product, vapor

 

product, or component of a vapor product in a public place.

 

     (d) Present or offer to an individual a purported proof of age

 

that is false, fraudulent, or not actually his or her own proof of

 

age for the purpose of purchasing, attempting to purchase,

 

possessing, or attempting to possess a tobacco product, tobacco-

 

derived product, vapor product, or component of a vapor product.

 


     (2) An individual who violates subsection (1) is guilty of a

 

misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $50.00 for each

 

violation. Pursuant to a probation order, the court may also

 

require an individual who violates subsection (1) to participate in

 

a health promotion and risk reduction assessment program, if

 

available. An individual who is ordered to participate in a health

 

promotion and risk reduction assessment program under this

 

subsection is responsible for the costs of participating in the

 

program. In addition, an individual who violates subsection (1) is

 

subject to the following:

 

     (a) For the first violation, the court may order the

 

individual to do 1 of the following:

 

     (i) Perform not more than 16 hours of community service in a

 

hospice, nursing home, or long-term care facility.

 

     (ii) Participate in a health promotion and risk reduction

 

program, as described in this subsection.

 

     (b) For a second violation, in addition to participation in a

 

health promotion and risk reduction program, the court may order

 

the individual to perform not more than 32 hours of community

 

service in a hospice, nursing home, or long-term care facility.

 

     (c) For a third or subsequent violation, in addition to

 

participation in a health promotion and risk reduction program, the

 

court may order the individual to perform not more than 48 hours of

 

community service in a hospice, nursing home, or long-term care

 

facility.

 

     (3) Subsection (1) does not apply to a minor participating in

 

any of the following:

 


     (a) An undercover operation in which the minor purchases or

 

receives a tobacco product, tobacco-derived product, vapor product,

 

or component of a vapor product under the direction of the minor's

 

employer and with the prior approval of the local prosecutor's

 

office as part of an employer-sponsored internal enforcement

 

action.

 

     (b) An undercover operation in which the minor purchases or

 

receives a tobacco product, tobacco-derived product, vapor product,

 

or component of a vapor product under the direction of the state

 

police or a local police agency as part of an enforcement action,

 

unless the initial or contemporaneous purchase or receipt of the

 

tobacco product, tobacco-derived product, vapor product, or

 

component of a vapor product by the minor was not under the

 

direction of the state police or the local police agency and was

 

not part of the undercover operation.

 

     (c) Compliance checks in which the minor attempts to purchase

 

tobacco products for the purpose of satisfying federal substance

 

abuse block grant youth tobacco access requirements, if the

 

compliance checks are conducted under the direction of a substance

 

abuse coordinating agency as defined in section 6103 of the public

 

health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.6103, and with the prior approval

 

of the state police or a local police agency.

 

     (4) Subsection (1) does not apply to the handling or

 

transportation of a tobacco product, tobacco-derived product, vapor

 

product, or component of a vapor product by a minor under the terms

 

of that the minor's employment.

 

     (5) This section does not prohibit the an individual from

 


being charged with, convicted of, or sentenced for any other

 

violation of law arising that arises out of the violation of

 

subsection (1).

 

     Sec. 4. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Minor" means an individual under who is less than 18

 

years of age.

 

     (b) "Person who sells tobacco products at retail" means a

 

person whose ordinary course of business consists, in whole or in

 

part, of the retail sale of tobacco products subject to state sales

 

tax.

 

     (c) "Person who sells tobacco-derived products, vapor

 

products, or components of vapor products at retail" means a person

 

whose ordinary course of business consists, in whole or in part, of

 

the retail sale of tobacco-derived products, vapor products, or

 

components of vapor products.

 

     (d) (c) "Public place" means a public street, sidewalk, or

 

park or any area open to the general public in a publicly owned or

 

operated building or public place of business.

 

     (e) (d) "Tobacco product" means a product that contains

 

tobacco and is intended for human consumption, including, but not

 

limited to, cigarettes, noncigarette smoking tobacco, or smokeless

 

tobacco, as those terms are defined in section 2 of the tobacco

 

products tax act, 1993 PA 327, MCL 205.422, and cigars.

 

     (f) "Tobacco-derived product" means any noncombustible product

 

derived from tobacco that contains nicotine and is intended for

 

human consumption, whether chewed, absorbed, dissolved, ingested,

 

or by other means. Tobacco-derived product does not include a vapor

 


product or a product regulated by the United States food and drug

 

administration under subchapter V of the federal food, drug, and

 

cosmetic act, 21 USC 351 to 360ddd-2.

 

     (g) (e) "Use a tobacco product" means to smoke, chew, suck,

 

inhale, or otherwise consume a tobacco product.

 

     (h) "Vapor product" means any noncombustible product that

 

employs a mechanical heating element, battery, or electronic

 

circuit regardless of shape or size and that can be used to heat a

 

liquid nicotine solution contained in a vapor cartridge. Vapor

 

product includes an electronic cigarette, electronic cigar,

 

electronic cigarillo, and electronic pipe. Vapor product does not

 

include a product regulated by the United States food and drug

 

administration under subchapter V of the federal food, drug, and

 

cosmetic act, 21 USC 351 to 360ddd-2.