Mo. Rev. Stat. § 196.1023 — MO Code / Chapter 196 / Section 196.1023
196.1023 Certification, compliance with tobacco master settlement agreement required ...
Status: in_force

196.1023. Certification, compliance with tobacco master settlement agreement required — directory listing. — 1. Every tobacco product manufacturer whose cigarettes are sold in this state, whether directly or through a distributor, retailer, or similar intermediary or intermediaries, shall execute and deliver on a form prescribed by the director a certification to the director no later than the thirtieth day of April each year certifying, under penalty of perjury, that as of the date of such certification such tobacco product manufacturer is a participating manufacturer or is in full compliance with section 196.1003 .

(1) A participating manufacturer shall include in its certification a list of its brand families. The participating manufacturer shall update such list thirty calendar days prior to any addition to or modification of its brand families by executing and delivering a supplemental certification to the director.

(2) A nonparticipating manufacturer shall include in its certification:

(a) A list of all of its brand families and the number of units sold for each brand family that were sold in the state during the preceding calendar year;

(b) A list of all of its brand families that have been sold in the state at any time during the current calendar year, which shall indicate, by an asterisk, any brand family sold in the state during the preceding calendar year that is no longer being sold in the state as of the date of such certification; and

(c) The name and address of any other manufacturer of such brand families in the preceding or current calendar year.

The nonparticipating manufacturer shall update such list thirty calendar days prior to any addition to or modification of its brand families by executing and delivering a supplemental certification to the director.

(3) For a nonparticipating manufacturer, such certification shall further certify:

(a) That such nonparticipating manufacturer is registered to do business in the state or has appointed a resident agent for service of process and provided notice thereof as required in this subsection;

(b) That such nonparticipating manufacturer has established, and continues to maintain, a qualified escrow fund and has executed a qualified escrow agreement, governing the qualified escrow fund, which has been reviewed and approved by the director;

(c) That such nonparticipating manufacturer is in full compliance with sections 196.1003 and 196.1020 to 196.1035 and any rules promulgated thereunder;

(d) The name, address, and telephone number of the financial institution where the nonparticipating manufacturer has established such qualified escrow fund required under section 196.1003 and all rules promulgated thereunder;

(e) The account number of such qualified escrow fund and any subaccount number for the state;

(f) The amount such nonparticipating manufacturer placed in such fund for cigarettes sold in the state during the preceding calendar year;

(g) The date and amount of each such deposit, and such evidence or verification as may be deemed necessary by the director to confirm the foregoing; and

(h) The amount and date of any withdrawal or transfer of funds the nonparticipating manufacturer made, at any time, from such fund or from any other qualified escrow fund into which it ever made escrow payments under section 196.1003 and all rules promulgated thereunder.

(4) A tobacco product manufacturer shall not include a brand family in its certification unless:

(a) In the case of a participating manufacturer, such participating manufacturer affirms that the brand family is deemed to be its cigarettes for purposes of calculating its payments under the master settlement agreement for the relevant year, in the volume and shares determined under the master settlement agreement; and

(b) In the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer, such nonparticipating manufacturer affirms that the brand family is deemed to be its cigarettes for purposes of section 196.1003 .

Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting, or otherwise affecting, the state's right to maintain that a brand family constitutes cigarettes of a different tobacco product manufacturer for purposes of calculating payments under the master settlement agreement or for purposes of section 196.1003 .

(5) Tobacco product manufacturers shall maintain all invoices and documentation of sales and other such information relied upon for such certification for a period of five years, unless otherwise required by law to maintain them for a greater period of time.

2. On or after January 1, 2011, the director shall issue, maintain, update when necessary but only on the first calendar day of each month, make available for public inspection and publish on its website a directory listing of all tobacco product manufacturers that have provided current and accurate certifications in compliance with the requirements of subsection 1 of this section and all brand families listed in such certifications, except:

(1) The director shall not include, or retain, in such directory the name or brand families of any nonparticipating manufacturer that fails to provide the required certification, or whose certification the director determines is not in compliance with subdivisions (2) and (3) of subsection 1 of this section, unless the director has determined that such violation has been cured to the satisfaction of the director;

(2) Neither a tobacco product manufacturer nor brand family shall be included, or retained, in the directory if the director concludes, in the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer that:

(a) Any escrow payment required under section 196.1003 for any period, for any brand family, whether or not listed by such nonparticipating manufacturer has not been fully paid into a qualified escrow fund governed by a qualified escrow agreement approved by the director; or

(b) Any outstanding final judgment, including interest thereon, for violations of section 196.1003 has not been fully satisfied for such brand family and such manufacturer;

(3) Every stamping agent shall provide, and update as necessary, an electronic mail address to the director for the purpose of receiving any notifications that may be required by sections 196.1020 to 196.1035 .

3. (1) The directory issued and updated in subsection 2 of this section shall become effective immediately but only as it applies to tobacco product manufacturers, and it shall be unlawful for any tobacco wholesaler or retailer to purchase from any tobacco product manufacturer any cigarette or brand family not listed in the directory.

(2) The directory issued in subsection 2 of this section shall become effective on the first day of the month following the month in which said directory is published or updated as it applies to tobacco wholesalers, and on the fifteenth day of the month following the month in which said directory is published or updated as it applies to tobacco retailers in order to allow wholesalers and retailers sufficient time to sell their inventory.

(3) Unless otherwise permitted herein, it shall be unlawful for any person to:

(a) Affix a stamp to a package or other container of cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the directory; or

(b) Sell, offer, or possess for sale in this state, or import for personal consumption in this state, cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the directory.

(L. 2010 S.B. 884) Effective 7-07-10