Florida Senate - 2014                              CS for SB 224
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senators
       Benacquisto, Latvala, Sobel, and Flores
       
       
       
       
       580-00643-14                                           2014224c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to nicotine dispensing devices;
    3         amending s. 569.002, F.S.; providing a definition;
    4         amending s. 569.0075, F.S.; prohibiting the gift of
    5         sample nicotine dispensing devices to persons under 18
    6         years of age; amending s. 569.101, F.S.; prohibiting
    7         the selling, delivering, bartering, furnishing, or
    8         giving of nicotine dispensing devices to persons under
    9         18 years of age, to which penalties apply; amending s.
   10         569.11, F.S.; prohibiting persons under 18 years of
   11         age from possessing, purchasing, or misrepresenting
   12         their age or military service to purchase nicotine
   13         dispensing devices; providing civil penalties;
   14         amending s. 569.14, F.S.; requiring certain signage
   15         where a dealer sells nicotine dispensing devices;
   16         amending s. 569.19, F.S.; requiring the Division of
   17         Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco of the Department of
   18         Business and Professional Regulation to submit the
   19         number of violations for selling nicotine dispensing
   20         devices in its annual report; providing an effective
   21         date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. Subsection (8) is added to section 569.002,
   26  Florida Statutes, to read:
   27         569.002 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
   28         (8) “Nicotine dispensing devices” mean any product that can
   29  be used to deliver nicotine to an individual by inhaling
   30  vaporized nicotine from the product, including, but not limited
   31  to, an electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic
   32  cigarillo, electronic pipe, or other similar device or product
   33  and any replacement nicotine cartridge for the device or
   34  product.
   35         Section 2. Section 569.0075, Florida Statutes, is amended
   36  to read:
   37         569.0075 Gift of sample tobacco products or sample nicotine
   38  dispensing devices prohibited.—The gift of sample tobacco
   39  products or sample nicotine dispensing devices to any person
   40  under the age of 18 by an entity licensed or permitted under the
   41  provisions of chapter 210 or this chapter, or by an employee of
   42  such entity, is prohibited and is punishable as provided in s.
   43  569.101.
   44         Section 3. Subsections (1) and (3) of section 569.101,
   45  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   46         569.101 Selling, delivering, bartering, furnishing, or
   47  giving tobacco products or nicotine dispensing devices to
   48  persons under 18 years of age; criminal penalties; defense.—
   49         (1) It is unlawful to sell, deliver, barter, furnish, or
   50  give, directly or indirectly, to any person who is under 18
   51  years of age, any tobacco product or nicotine dispensing device.
   52         (3) A person charged with a violation of subsection (1) has
   53  a complete defense if, at the time the tobacco product or
   54  nicotine dispensing device was sold, delivered, bartered,
   55  furnished, or given:
   56         (a) The buyer or recipient falsely evidenced that she or he
   57  was 18 years of age or older;
   58         (b) The appearance of the buyer or recipient was such that
   59  a prudent person would believe the buyer or recipient to be 18
   60  years of age or older; and
   61         (c) Such person carefully checked a driver’s license or an
   62  identification card issued by this state or another state of the
   63  United States, a passport, or a United States armed services
   64  identification card presented by the buyer or recipient and
   65  acted in good faith and in reliance upon the representation and
   66  appearance of the buyer or recipient in the belief that the
   67  buyer or recipient was 18 years of age or older.
   68         Section 4. Subsections (1), (2), and (6) of section 569.11,
   69  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   70         569.11 Possession, misrepresenting age or military service
   71  to purchase, and purchase of tobacco products or nicotine
   72  dispensing devices by persons under 18 years of age prohibited;
   73  penalties; jurisdiction; disposition of fines.—
   74         (1) It is unlawful for any person under 18 years of age to
   75  knowingly possess any tobacco product or nicotine dispensing
   76  device. Any person under 18 years of age who violates the
   77  provisions of this subsection commits a noncriminal violation as
   78  provided in s. 775.08(3), punishable by:
   79         (a) For a first violation, 16 hours of community service
   80  or, instead of community service, a $25 fine. In addition, the
   81  person must attend a school-approved anti-tobacco and nicotine
   82  program, if locally available;
   83         (b) For a second violation within 12 weeks of the first
   84  violation, a $25 fine; or
   85         (c) For a third or subsequent violation within 12 weeks of
   86  the first violation, the court must direct the Department of
   87  Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to withhold issuance of or
   88  suspend or revoke the person’s driver’s license or driving
   89  privilege, as provided in s. 322.056.
   90  
   91  Any second or subsequent violation not within the 12-week time
   92  period after the first violation is punishable as provided for a
   93  first violation.
   94         (2) It is unlawful for any person under 18 years of age to
   95  misrepresent his or her age or military service for the purpose
   96  of inducing a dealer or an agent or employee of the dealer to
   97  sell, give, barter, furnish, or deliver any tobacco product or
   98  nicotine dispensing device, or to purchase, or attempt to
   99  purchase, any tobacco product or nicotine dispensing device from
  100  a person or a vending machine. Any person under 18 years of age
  101  who violates a provision of this subsection commits a
  102  noncriminal violation as provided in s. 775.08(3), punishable
  103  by:
  104         (a) For a first violation, 16 hours of community service
  105  or, instead of community service, a $25 fine and, in addition,
  106  the person must attend a school-approved anti-tobacco and
  107  nicotine program, if available;
  108         (b) For a second violation within 12 weeks of the first
  109  violation, a $25 fine; or
  110         (c) For a third or subsequent violation within 12 weeks of
  111  the first violation, the court must direct the Department of
  112  Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to withhold issuance of or
  113  suspend or revoke the person’s driver’s license or driving
  114  privilege, as provided in s. 322.056.
  115  
  116  Any second or subsequent violation not within the 12-week time
  117  period after the first violation is punishable as provided for a
  118  first violation.
  119         (6) Eighty percent of all civil penalties received by a
  120  county court pursuant to this section shall be remitted by the
  121  clerk of the court to the Department of Revenue for transfer to
  122  the Department of Education to provide for teacher training and
  123  for research and evaluation to reduce and prevent the use of
  124  tobacco products or nicotine dispensing devices by children. The
  125  remaining 20 percent of civil penalties received by a county
  126  court pursuant to this section shall remain with the clerk of
  127  the county court to cover administrative costs.
  128         Section 5. Subsections (1), (2), and (3) of section 569.14,
  129  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  130         569.14 Posting of a sign stating that the sale of tobacco
  131  products or nicotine dispensing devices to persons under 18
  132  years of age is unlawful; enforcement; penalty.—
  133         (1) Any dealer that sells tobacco products or nicotine
  134  dispensing devices shall post a clear and conspicuous sign in
  135  each place of business where such products are sold which
  136  substantially states the following:
  137  
  138  THE SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS OR NICOTINE DISPENSING DEVICES TO
  139  PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 IS AGAINST FLORIDA LAW. PROOF OF AGE
  140  IS REQUIRED FOR PURCHASE.
  141  
  142         (2) The division shall make available to dealers of tobacco
  143  products or nicotine dispensing devices signs that meet the
  144  requirements of subsection (1).
  145         (3) Any dealer that sells tobacco products or nicotine
  146  dispensing devices shall provide at the checkout counter in a
  147  location clearly visible to the dealer, the dealer’s agent or
  148  employee, instructional material in a calendar format or similar
  149  format to assist in determining whether a person is of legal age
  150  to purchase tobacco products or nicotine dispensing devices.
  151  This point of sale material must contain substantially the
  152  following language:
  153  
  154                IF YOU WERE NOT BORN BEFORE THIS DATE              
  155                  (insert date and applicable year)                
  156   YOU CANNOT BUY TOBACCO PRODUCTS OR NICOTINE DISPENSING DEVICES. 
  157  
  158  Upon approval by the division, in lieu of a calendar a dealer
  159  may use card readers, scanners, or other electronic or automated
  160  systems that can verify whether a person is of legal age to
  161  purchase tobacco products or nicotine dispensing devices.
  162  Failure to comply with the provisions contained in this
  163  subsection shall result in imposition of administrative
  164  penalties as provided in s. 569.006.
  165         Section 6. Subsection (3) of section 569.19, Florida
  166  Statutes, is amended to read:
  167         569.19 Annual report.—The division shall report annually
  168  with written findings to the Legislature and the Governor by
  169  December 31, on the progress of implementing the enforcement
  170  provisions of this chapter. This must include, but is not
  171  limited to:
  172         (3) The number of violations for selling tobacco products
  173  or nicotine dispensing devices to persons under age 18, and the
  174  results of administrative hearings on the above and related
  175  issues.
  176         Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.