Smuggled Tobacco Prevention Act of 2008

Bill: 110-hr-5689
Sponsor: Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-25]
Introduced: 2008-04-03 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Business records
Cigarettes
Commerce
Drug abuse
Fines (Penalties)
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Identification devices
Indian lands
Labeling
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Minorities
Native Americans
Packaging
Smokeless tobacco
Smuggling
Surety and fidelity
Taxation
Tobacco
Tobacco exports
Tobacco industry
Tobacco tax
Whistle blowing
Wholesale trade

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-03
text: 
Smuggled Tobacco Prevention Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require manufacturers and importers of tobacco products to legibly print a unique serial number on all packages of tobacco products manufactured or imported for sale or distribution. Imposes marking requirements for exports of tobacco products. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to require additional secure methods of identification or marking of tobacco products. 

Requires the Secretary to prescribe a system of tobacco tax stamps, meter impressions, or other tax-payment indicia for tobacco products. Requires tobacco products sold on Indian reservations to be visibly and prominently labeled as such.

Prohibits the export of tobacco products without the posting of a bond with the Secretary. Extends permit, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements to wholesalers of tobacco products. 

Establishes new criminal offenses relating to the distribution of tobacco products. Increases the civil penalty for tobacco-related infractions from $1,000 to $10,000. 

Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) extend criminal penalties for contraband cigarettes to tobacco products (i.e., cigars, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pipe tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco) and define &quot;contraband tobacco product&quot; for purposes of such penalties; (2) establish new unlawful acts relating to tobacco products and machines used to manufacture or package tobacco products; and (3) establish whistleblower protections for employees who provide information about violations relating to contraband tobacco. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-05-01
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2008-04-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2008-04-03
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-04-03
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-04-03
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-04-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-04-03
text: Introduced in House