HB-5396, As Passed Senate, June 8, 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUBSTITUTE FOR

 

HOUSE BILL NO. 5396

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     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), the title and section 4 as amended by 1992

 

PA 272 and sections 1 and 2 as amended by 1988 PA 314.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

TITLE

 

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

 

tobacco products to minors; to prohibit the purchase, possession,

 

or use of tobacco products by minors;  to prohibit the harboring of

 

minors for the purpose of indulging in the use of tobacco products;

 

to regulate the retail sale of tobacco 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  any

 

cigarette, cigar, chewing tobacco, tobacco snuff, or tobacco in any

 

other form  a tobacco product to a  person under 18 years of age

 

minor. A person who violates this  section  subsection is guilty of

 

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

 

each  offense  violation.

 

     (2)  Beginning 90 days after the effective date of this

 

subsection, a  A person who sells tobacco 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

 

public  community health that includes the following statement:

 

     "The purchase of tobacco products by a minor under 18 years of

 

age and the provision of tobacco products to a minor are prohibited

 

by law. A minor unlawfully purchasing or using tobacco products 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  boldface  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  boldface  boldfaced

 

type.

 

     (4) The department of  public  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  cigarettes and other


 

tobacco products  described in subsection (1)  free of charge.

 

within 60 days after the effective date of this subsection.

 

Licensed wholesalers, secondary wholesalers, and unclassified

 

acquirers of  cigarettes and other  tobacco products  described in

 

subsection (1)  shall obtain copies of the sign from the department

 

of  public  community health and distribute them free of charge,

 

upon request, to persons who are subject to subsection (2). The

 

department of  public  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  cigarettes or other

 

tobacco products  described in subsection (1)  from  licensed

 

wholesalers, secondary wholesalers, and unclassified acquirers of

 

cigarettes and other  tobacco products  described in subsection (1)  

 

licensed under the tobacco products tax act, 1993 PA 327, MCL

 

205.421 to 205.436.

 

     (5) It is an affirmative defense to a charge  pursuant to

 

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  cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, tobacco snuff,

 

and other  tobacco products 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 the court and the

 

prosecuting attorney. 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 the court and

 

the defendant. The notice shall be served not less than 7 days

 

before the date set for trial  ,  and shall contain the name and

 

address of each rebuttal witness.

 

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

 

transportation of a tobacco product by a minor under the terms of

 

that minor's employment.

 

     Sec. 2. (1)  A person under 18 years of age shall not possess

 

or smoke cigarettes or cigars; or possess or chew, suck, or inhale

 

chewing tobacco or tobacco snuff; or possess or use tobacco in any

 

other form, on a public highway, street, alley, park, or other

 

lands used for public purposes, or in a public place of business or

 

amusement. A person  Subject to subsection (3), a minor shall not

 

do any of the following:

 

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

 

     (b) Possess or attempt to possess a tobacco product.

 

     (c) Use a tobacco 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.

 

     (2) An individual who violates  this section  subsection (1)

 

is guilty of a misdemeanor  ,  punishable by a fine of not more

 

than $50.00 for each  offense  violation. Pursuant to a probation

 

order, the court may also require  a person  an individual who

 

violates  this section  subsection (1) to participate in a health


House Bill No. 5396 as amended June 8, 2006

 

promotion and risk reduction assessment program, if available.  A

 

probationer  An individual who is ordered to participate in a

 

health promotion and risk reduction assessment program under this  

 

section  subsection is responsible for the costs of participating

 

in the program. In addition,  a person  an individual who violates  

 

this section  subsection (1) is subject to the following:

 

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

 

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  person  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  person  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 under the direction of the minor's

 

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


House Bill No. 5396 (H-1) as amended May 9, 2006

                          as amended June 8, 2006             (1 of 2)

 

office as part of an employer-sponsored internal enforcement

 

action.

 

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

 

receives a tobacco 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 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 by a minor under the terms of that minor's employment.

     (5)] This section does not prohibit the individual from being

 

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

 

law arising out of the violation of subsection (1).

 

     Sec. 4. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Chewing tobacco" means loose tobacco or a flat,

 

compressed cake of tobacco that is inserted into the mouth to be

 

chewed or sucked.

 

     (a) "Minor" means an individual under 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) "Tobacco snuff" means shredded, powdered, or pulverized

 

tobacco that may be inhaled through the nostrils, chewed, or placed

 

against the gums.

 

     (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.


 

     (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.

 

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

 

inhale, or otherwise consume a tobacco product.

 

     Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act takes effect

 

September 1, 2006.