Representatives Jones of North Reading, Rogeness of Longmeadow, Peterson of Grafton, Lepper of Attleboro, and deMacedo of Plymouth move that the bill be amended by inserting at the end thereof the following new sections:-
SECTION XX. Chapter 270 of the General Laws, as
appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after
section five, the following section:—
Section 5A. As used in this section and section 6 the following words shall,
unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
“Tobacco Products”, cigarettes, bidis, cigars, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco,
snuff, or tobacco in any of its forms.
“Retailer”, any establishment that sells tobacco products to individuals for
personal consumption.
“Person”, individual, employer, employee, retail store manager or owner, or the
owner or operator of any establishment engaged in the sale of tobacco products.
“Proof of age”, a motor vehicle license issued pursuant to section eight of
chapter 90, a liquor purchase identification card issued pursuant to section 34
B of chapter 138, a valid passport issued by the United States government, or
by the government, recognized by the United States government, of a foreign
country, or a valid United States issued military identification card.
“Local Permit”, any permit that a retailer is required to obtain by local
ordinance, by-law or board of health regulation in order to sell or distribute
tobacco products.
“Smoking”, inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted cigar,
cigarette, or other tobacco product in any form.
SECTION XX. Said chapter 270 is hereby further
amended by striking out section 6, as so appearing, and inserting in place
thereof the following section:—
Section 6. (a) No person under 18 years of age shall smoke, possess, or use any
tobacco products in the commonwealth.
(b) No person shall sell tobacco products or permit tobacco products to be sold
to any person under 18 years of age nor shall any person give a person under 18
years of age a tobacco product.
(c) Every retailer shall verify by means of proof of age that no person
purchasing tobacco products is under 18 years of age. No person under 18 years
of age shall misrepresent his or her age by presenting false proof of age to
purchase tobacco products. No such verification is required for any person over
26 years of age.
(d) Nothing in this section shall prohibit persons under 18 years of age from
participating in compliance checks conducted in order to enforce and monitor
compliance with this section or any other law governing the sale of tobacco
products to minors or persons under 18 years of age.
(e) Any retailer who violates any provision of this section shall be fined $100
for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, and $300 for the third or
subsequent offense. Any retailer who violates this act four or more times
within a three year period, calculated from the date of the first offense,
shall be subject to a fine of $300 for each offense and shall have his local
permit suspended for seven consecutive calendar days. The board of health shall
provide notice of the intent to suspend a tobacco permit, which notice shall
contain the reasons for the permit suspension and establish a date and time for
a hearing. The date of the hearing shall be no earlier than seven days after
the date of said notice. The permittee shall have an opportunity to be heard at
such hearing and shall be notified of the Board's decision and reasons in
writing.
(f) Any person who is under 18 years of age who violates any provision of this
act may be required to perform 20 hours of community service and enroll in a
tobacco education program; provided, however, that this section shall not apply
to a person who is under 18 years of age who possesses, transports, or carries
on his person tobacco products in the course of his employment.
SECTION XX. Said chapter 270 is hereby further
amended by inserting after section 7, the following section:—
Section 7A. (a) Police officers, school officials and their agents shall have
the authority to confiscate any tobacco products from any person under 18 years
of age and may return the confiscated tobacco products to said person’s parent
or legal guardian upon written request within 30 days. If the tobacco product
is not claimed within 30 days, the police officers, school officials and their
agents shall destroy the tobacco product.
(b) In addition to the penalties provided in section six of chapter 270 upon
petition of a board of health to the commissioner of revenue that a retailer
has been cited in violation of said section six, four or more times within a
three year period, calculated from the date of the first offense, the
commissioner of revenue shall, after providing the retailer with notice and
opportunity to be heard, suspend for 30 days the retailer’s license, issued in
accordance with section 67 of chapter 62C. The commissioner shall provide
notice of the intent to suspend said license, which notice shall contain the
reasons for the suspension and establish a date and time for a hearing. The
date of the hearing shall be no earlier than seven days after the date of said
notice. The licensee shall have an opportunity to be heard at such hearing and
shall be notified of the commissioner’s decision and reasons in writing. Any
person aggrieved by the commissioner’s suspension of said license may within 60
days of the date of notice of such suspension appeal to the appellate tax
board, whose decision shall be final.
(c) Police officers, school officials and their agents shall have the authority
to confiscate any tobacco products from any person who is under 18 years of
age; the commonwealth of Massachusetts or its agents, including but not limited
to the department of public health, the attorney general, and the state police;
any city or town or its agent, any board of health or its agent, and any city
or town police department, any school official or its agent may enforce all
other provisions of this act. If the enforcing authority is a board of health
or its authorized agent, any violation of this section may be disposed of by
the non-criminal method of disposition procedures contained in section 21D of
chapter 40 without an enabling ordinance or bylaw. If the enforcing authority
is any city or town or its agent, any board of health or its agent, or any city
or town police department, fines that are assessed pursuant to section six of
chapter 270 may be payable to the city or town in which the violation of this
section occurs. Any city or town may, by ordinance or bylaw, establish a fund
for the disposition of any revenues received from fines levied in accordance
with the provisions of section six of chapter 270, in which case, the municipal
health department or board of health shall expend said funds for the purpose of
enforcing this act or any local law that regulates the sale of tobacco
products.