79-3391. Administrative fines; cigarette and tobacco products regulation fund created.
(a) In addition to or in lieu of any other civil or criminal penalty provided by law, the secretary of revenue or the secretary's designee, upon a finding that a person under this act has violated any provision of this act or any provision of any rule and regulation of the secretary of revenue adopted pursuant to this act shall impose on such person a civil fine not exceeding $1,000 for each violation.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, to: (1) Sell, give or furnish any cigarettes or tobacco products to any person under 18 years of age; or (2) buy any cigarettes or tobacco products for any person under 18 years of age. In determining the fine to be imposed under this subsection by a licensed retail dealer whose employee sold, furnished or distributed the cigarettes or tobacco products, the secretary of revenue or the secretary's designee shall consider it to be a mitigating circumstance if the employee had completed a training program, approved by the secretary of revenue or the secretary's designee, in avoiding sale, furnishing or distributing of cigarettes and tobacco products to persons under 18 years of age.
(c) No fine shall be imposed pursuant to this section except upon the written order of the secretary of revenue or the secretary's designee to the licensee who committed the violation. Such order shall state the violation, the fine to be imposed and the right of the licensee to appeal the order. Such order shall be subject to appeal and review in the manner provided by the Kansas administrative procedure act.
(d) Any fine collected pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the cigarette and tobacco products regulation fund.
(e) There is hereby created, in the state treasury, the cigarette and tobacco products regulation fund. Moneys in the fund shall be expended only for the enforcement of this act and rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this act. Such expenditures shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the secretary of revenue or a person designated by the secretary.
(f) If a person violates subsection (b) for a second or subsequent occurrence within a three-year period, the secretary may impose a graduated fine upon such person for the second or subsequent occurrence. For the purposes of imposing a fine under this section, if three or more years have elapsed since a person has been found to have violated the provisions of subsection (b), such person shall be treated as never having violated subsection (b).
History: L. 1996, ch. 214, § 15; L. 1998, ch. 192, § 12; L. 2000, ch. 92, § 10; L. 2001, ch. 5, § 452; L. 2017, ch. 96, § 20; June 22.