Add S156-c, Exec L
Directs the office of fire prevention and control in consultation with the department of health, to promulgate fire safety standards
for cigarettes in order to limit their risks of causing fires; provides for enforcement of the standards and penalties for violation
thereof; conditions effective date on failure of congress to establish federal safety standards.
Eff. Date 01/01/2001 (see table)

SPONSORS MEMO:

SPONSOR: Rules (Grannis)

                           LAWS OF NEW YORK, 2000

CHAPTER 284

  AN  ACT  to  amend  the  executive law, in relation to establishing fire
    safety standards for cigarettes to limit fire risks

  Became a law August 16, 2000, with the approval of the Governor.  Passed
    on  message  of  necessity  pursuant to Article III, section 14 of the
    Constitution by a majority vote, three-fifths being present.

    The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
  bly, do enact as follows:

    Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 156-c
  to read as follows:
    § 156-c. Fire safety standards for cigarettes. 1. a. When used in this
  section, the word "cigarette" shall mean any roll for smoking made whol-
  ly or in part of tobacco or of any other substance, irrespective of size
  or shape and whether or not such tobacco or substance is flavored, adul-
  terated or mixed with any other ingredient,  the  wrapper  or  cover  of
  which  is made of paper or any other substance or material except tobac-
  co.
    b. When used in this section, the word "sell" shall mean to  sell,  or
  to offer or agree to do the same.
    2.  a. Within two years after this section takes effect, the office of
  fire prevention and control shall promulgate fire safety  standards  for
  cigarettes  sold or offered for sale in this state. Such standards shall
  take effect as provided in subdivision four of this  section  and  shall
  insure either:
    (1)  That such cigarettes, if ignited, will stop burning within a time
  period specified by the standards  if  the  cigarettes  are  not  smoked
  during that period; or
    (2)  That such cigarettes meet performance standards prescribed by the
  office of fire prevention and control to limit the risk that such  ciga-
  rettes  will ignite upholstered furniture, mattresses or other household
  furnishings.
    b. In promulgating fire safety standards for  cigarettes  pursuant  to
  this section, the office of fire prevention and control, in consultation
  with  the  department of health, shall consider whether cigarettes manu-
  factured in accordance with such  standards  may  reasonably  result  in
  increased health risks to consumers.
    c.  The office of fire prevention and control shall be responsible for
  administering the provisions of this section.
    d. The office of fire prevention  and  control  shall  report  to  the
  governor  and  the  legislature no later than eighteen months after this
  section takes effect on the status of its work in promulgating the  fire
  safety standards required by this subdivision.
    3.  On  and  after  the  date the fire safety standards take effect in
  accordance with subdivision four of this section, no cigarettes shall be
  sold or offered for sale in this state unless the  manufacturer  thereof
  has  certified  in  writing to the office of fire prevention and control
  and the attorney general that such cigarettes meet the performance stan-

  EXPLANATION--Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [-] is old law
                               to be omitted.

  CHAP. 284                          2

  dards prescribed by the office of fire prevention and  control  pursuant
  to  subdivision  two  of  this  section.  Copies of such written certif-
  ications shall be provided by the certifying manufacturer to all  whole-
  sale  dealers,  as  defined in subdivision eight of section four hundred
  seventy of the tax law, and all agents, as defined in subdivision eleven
  of section four hundred seventy of the  tax  law.  The  office  of  fire
  prevention  and control shall prescribe procedures by which retail deal-
  ers are notified of which cigarettes have been certified by  manufactur-
  ers  as  meeting  the  performance standards prescribed by the office of
  fire prevention and control.
    4. The fire safety standards required pursuant to subdivision  two  of
  this  section  shall  take  effect  on  such  date as the office of fire
  prevention and control shall specify in promulgating such standards  and
  such  date shall be the earliest practicable date by which manufacturers
  of cigarettes can comply with such standards;  provided,  however,  that
  such  date  shall  not  be later than one hundred eighty days after such
  standards are promulgated. On and after such date, no person  or  entity
  shall  sell in this state cigarettes that have not been certified by the
  manufacturer in accordance  with  subdivision  three  of  this  section;
  provided,  however,  that nothing in this subdivision shall be construed
  to prohibit any person or entity from selling cigarettes that  have  not
  been  certified by the manufacturer in accordance with subdivision three
  of this section if such cigarettes are or will be stamped  for  sale  in
  another state or are packaged for sale outside the United States.
    5. a. Any wholesale dealer, as defined in subdivision eight of section
  four  hundred seventy of the tax law, or any agent, as defined in subdi-
  vision eleven of section four hundred seventy of the  tax  law,  or  any
  other  person  or  entity  who  knowingly  sells cigarettes wholesale in
  violation of subdivision four of this section  shall  be  subject  to  a
  civil  penalty  not to exceed ten thousand dollars per each such sale of
  such cigarettes. Any retail dealer, as defined in  subdivision  nine  of
  section  four  hundred seventy of the tax law, who knowingly sells ciga-
  rettes in violation of subdivision four of this section shall be subject
  to the following: (i) a civil penalty not to exceed five hundred dollars
  per each such sale or offer for sale of such cigarettes,  provided  that
  the  total  number  of  cigarettes sold or offered for sale in such sale
  does not exceed one thousand cigarettes; (ii) a  civil  penalty  not  to
  exceed one thousand dollars per each such sale or offer for sale of such
  cigarettes, provided that the total number of cigarettes sold or offered
  for sale in such sale exceeds one thousand cigarettes.
    b.  In  addition  to  any  penalty prescribed by law, any corporation,
  partnership, sole proprietor, limited partnership or association engaged
  in the manufacture of cigarettes that knowingly makes  a  false  certif-
  ication  pursuant  to subdivision three of this section shall be subject
  to a civil penalty not to exceed ten  thousand  dollars  for  each  such
  false certification.
    c. There is hereby established in the custody of the state comptroller
  a special fund to be known as the "Cigarette Fire Safety Act Fund". Such
  fund  shall consist of all moneys recovered by the attorney general from
  the assessment of civil penalties authorized by this  subdivision.  Such
  monies  shall be deposited to the credit of the fund and shall, in addi-
  tion to any other moneys made available for such purpose,  be  available
  to  the  office  of  fire prevention and control for the purpose of fire
  safety and prevention programs. All payments  from  the  cigarette  fire
  safety  act  fund  shall  be  made on the audit and warrant of the state

                                     3                           CHAP. 284

  comptroller on vouchers certified and submitted by the state fire admin-
  istrator.
    6. To enforce the provisions of this section, the attorney general may
  bring  an  action  on  behalf  of the people of the state of New York to
  enjoin acts in violation of this section and to recover civil  penalties
  authorized under subdivision five of this section.
    §  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the first day of January next
  succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; except that (a)
  this act shall not take effect if  federal  fire  safety  standards  for
  cigarettes  that  preempt  this act are enacted before such first day of
  January and the state fire administrator shall  notify  the  Legislative
  Bill  Drafting  Commission  upon the enactment of such federal cigarette
  safety standards prior to the effective date of this act, and  (b)  this
  act  shall be deemed repealed if federal fire safety standards for ciga-
  rettes that preempt this act are enacted  subsequent  to  the  effective
  date  of  this  act  and  the  state fire administrator shall notify the
  Legislative Bill Drafting Commission upon the enactment of such  federal
  cigarette  safety  standards.  If  such  federal  safety  standards  are
  enacted, the state fire administrator shall so  notify  the  Legislative
  Bill  Drafting  Commission. Such notification is necessary in order that
  the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective  data  base
  of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance
  of  effecting  the  provisions  of section 44 of the legislative law and
  section 70-b of the public officers law.

  The Legislature of the STATE OF NEW YORK ss:
    Pursuant to the authority vested in us by section 70-b of  the  Public
  Officers  Law,  we  hereby  jointly  certify that this slip copy of this
  session law was printed under our direction and, in accordance with such
  section, is entitled to be read into evidence.

     JOSEPH L. BRUNO                                     SHELDON SILVER
  Temporary President of the Senate               Speaker of the Assembly