An Act To Require Cigarettes Sold in Maine To Be Fire-safe
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0070
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: RINES, BRAUTIGAM, SIMPSON, RAND
Amends: 22 MRSA §1555-E, 25 MRSA §2466

Legislative Document 
No. 70 
H.P.68 
House of Representatives, January 9,2007 
An Act To Require Cigarettes Sold in Maine To Be Fire-safe 
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative RINES of Wiscasset. 
'/J1~ 1I7.71!~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BRAUTIGAM of Falmouth, SIMPSON of Auburn and 
Representative: RAND of Portland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1555-E is enacted to read: 
§1555-E. Fire-safe cigarettes 
1. 
Prohibition. To the extent not preempted by federal law, a person may not sell 
cigarettes on or after January 1, 2008 unless the cigarettes meet the standards for fire-safe 
cigarettes established by the State Fire Marshal under Title 25, section 2466. 
2. Civil fines. The following minimum civil fines are assessed for the following 
civil violations in actions brought by the Attorney General: 
A. 
For a wholesaler who knowingly sells cigarettes that are not fire-safe, $10,000 
for each sale: 
B. 
For a retailer who sells 5 or fewer cartons of cigarettes that are not fire-safe, 
$500: 
C. 
For a retailer who sells more than 5 cartons of cigarettes that are not fire-safe, 
$1,000: and 
D. 
For a manufacturer who knowingly misrepresents that that manufacturer's 
cigarettes are fire-safe, $10,000 for each misrepresentation. 
Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §2466 is enacted to read: 
§2466. Fire-safe cigarette standards 
1. 
Standards. The State Fire Marshal shall adopt standards for the sale of fire-safe 
cigarettes. The standards must ensure: 
A. 
That lit cigarettes stop burning within a specified time period if not smoked: or 
B. 
That cigarettes meet performance standards to limit the risk that lit cigarettes 
will ignite upholstered furniture. 
2. Health risk assessment. In adopting standards under this section, the State Fire 
Marshal shall cooperate and consult with the Department of Health and Human Services 
to consider whether fire-safe cigarettes manufactured in accordance with the fire safety 
standards under subsection 1 may reasonably result in increased health risks to 
consumers. 
3. Cigarette Fire Safety Fund; established. The Cigarette Fire Safety Fund is 
established in the Department of Public Safety as a nonlapsing dedicated account. All 
civil fines collected under Title 22, section 1555-E, subsection 2 must be transferred by 
the Treasurer of State to the Cigarette Fire Safety Fund for use by the department and the 
State Fire Marshal for fire safety and prevention programs. 
4. Rules. The State Fire Marshal may adopt routine technical rules in accordance 
with Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to ensure that the standards under subsection 1 
are in place no later than January 1, 2008. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides that, beginning January 1, 2008, only cigarettes that meet the 
standards of fire-safe cigarettes as established by the State Fire Marshal may be offered 
for sale in this State.