Certification by manufacturer.

1. Law
2. Oklahoma Statutes
3. Revenue and Taxation
4. Certification by manufacturer.

A. 1. Every tobacco product manufacturer whose cigarettes are sold in this state, whether directly or through a distributor, retailer or similar intermediary or intermediaries, shall execute and deliver on a form or in the manner prescribed by the Attorney General a certification to the Oklahoma Tax Commission and Attorney General, no later than April 30 of each year, certifying under penalty of perjury that, as of the date of certification, the tobacco product manufacturer either:

• a.is a participating manufacturer, or
• b.is in full compliance with the provisions of Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

2. A participating manufacturer shall include in its certification a list of its brand families. The participating manufacturer shall update the list thirty (30) calendar days prior to any addition to or modification of its brand families by executing and delivering a supplemental certification to the Attorney General and the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

3. A nonparticipating manufacturer shall include in its certification:

• a.a list of all of its brand families and the number of units sold for each brand family that were sold in the state during the preceding calendar year, and
• b.a list of all of its brand families that have been sold in the state at any time during the current calendar year:
• (1)indicating, by an asterisk, any brand family sold in the state during the preceding calendar year that is no longer being sold in the state as of the date of the certification, and
• (2)identifying by name and address any other manufacturer of the brand families in the preceding or current calendar year.

The nonparticipating manufacturer shall update the list thirty (30) calendar days prior to any corrected final addition to or modification of its brand families by executing and delivering a supplemental certification to the Attorney General and the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

4. In the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer, the certification shall further certify that the nonparticipating manufacturer:

• a.is registered to do business in the state or has appointed a resident agent for service of process and provided notice thereof as required by Section 360.5 of this title,
• b.has established and continues to maintain a qualified escrow fund, and
• c.has executed a qualified escrow agreement that has been reviewed and approved by the Attorney General and that governs the qualified escrow fund as defined in Section 600.22 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes that the nonparticipating manufacturer is in full compliance with the provisions of Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes and the Master Settlement Agreement Complementary Act and any rules promulgated pursuant to the Master Settlement Agreement Complementary Act.

5. The nonparticipating manufacturer shall include with certification:

• a.the name, address, and telephone number of the financial institution with which the nonparticipating manufacturer has established its qualified escrow fund,
• b.the account number of its qualified escrow fund and any subaccount number for the State of Oklahoma,
• c.the amount the nonparticipating manufacturer placed in the qualified escrow fund for cigarettes sold in Oklahoma during the preceding calendar year, the date and amount of each deposit to the fund, and any evidence or verification as may be deemed necessary by the Attorney General to confirm the information required by this paragraph, and
• d.the amount and date of any withdrawal or transfer of funds the nonparticipating manufacturer made at any time from the qualified escrow fund or from any other qualified escrow fund into which the nonparticipating manufacturer made escrow payments pursuant to Section 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes rules promulgated thereto.

6. In the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer located outside of the United States, the certification shall further certify that the nonparticipating manufacturer has provided a declaration from each of its importers into the United States of any of its brand families to be sold in Oklahoma. The declaration shall be on a form prescribed by the Attorney General and shall state that such importer accepts joint and several liability with the nonparticipating manufacturer for all escrow deposits due, for all penalties assessed and for payment of all costs and attorney fees imposed in accordance with Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Such declaration shall appoint for the declaration a resident agent for service of process in Oklahoma in accordance with Section 360.5 of this title.

7. A tobacco product manufacturer may not include a brand family in its certification unless:

• a.in the case of a participating manufacturer, the participating manufacturer affirms that the brand family is to be deemed to be its cigarettes for purposes of calculating its payments under the Master Settlement Agreement for the relevant year, in the volume and shares determined pursuant to the Master Settlement Agreement, or
• b.in the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer, the nonparticipating manufacturer affirms that the brand family is to be deemed to be its cigarettes for purposes of the provisions of Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

8. Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting or otherwise affecting the right of this state to maintain that a brand family constitutes cigarettes of a different tobacco product manufacturer for purposes of calculating payments under the Master Settlement Agreement or for purposes of Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

9. Tobacco product manufacturers shall maintain all invoices and documentation of sales and other information relied upon for the certification for a period of five (5) years, unless otherwise required by law to maintain them for a greater period of time.

10. At the time a manufacturer submits a yearly written certification pursuant to this section, the manufacturer shall pay to the Office of the Attorney General a fee of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). All fees collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited in the Attorney General’s Revolving Fund.

B. 1. Not later than ninety (90) calendar days after this act takes effect, the Attorney General shall develop and publish on its website a directory listing all tobacco product manufacturers that have provided current and accurate certifications conforming to the requirements of subparagraph a of paragraph 4 of subsection A of this section and all brand families that are listed in the certifications, except as otherwise provided in this section.

2. The Attorney General shall not include or retain in the directory the name or brand families of any nonparticipating manufacturer that has failed to provide the required certification or whose certification the Attorney General determines is not in compliance with paragraphs 3, 4, and 5 of subsection A of this section, unless the Attorney General has determined that a violation has been cured to the satisfaction of the Attorney General.

3. Neither a tobacco product manufacturer nor brand family shall be included or retained in the directory if the Attorney General concludes, in the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer, that:

• a.any escrow payment required pursuant to Section 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes for any period for any brand family, whether or not listed by the nonparticipating manufacturer, has not been fully paid into a qualified escrow fund governed by a qualified escrow agreement that has been approved by the Attorney General,
• b.any outstanding final judgment, including interest thereon, for a violation of the provisions of Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes has not been fully satisfied for the brand family or manufacturer, or
• c.the nonparticipating manufacturer or such tobacco product manufacturer fails to provide reasonable assurance that it will comply with the requirements of this section or Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or the manufacturer has knowingly failed to disclose any material information required or knowingly made any material false statement in the certification of any supporting information or documentation provided. As used in this subparagraph, reasonable assurances may include information and documentation establishing to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that a failure to pay in Oklahoma or elsewhere was the result of a good-faith dispute over the payment obligation.

4. The Attorney General shall update the directory as necessary in order to correct mistakes and to add or remove a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family to keep the directory in conformity with the requirements of the Master Settlement Agreement Complementary Act.

5. Every stamping agent shall provide and update, as necessary, an electronic mail address to the Oklahoma Tax Commission and the Attorney General for the purpose of receiving any notifications as may be required by the Master Settlement Agreement Complementary Act.

6. Any nonparticipating manufacturer may request, by facsimile transmission or other means to the Attorney General’s Tobacco Enforcement Unit, information regarding its current compliance status pursuant to this act and to Sections 600.21 through 600.23 of Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Upon receipt of such request, the Attorney General shall inform the requesting nonparticipating manufacturer of its current compliance status before close of business within three (3) business days.

C. It shall be unlawful for any person to:

1. Affix a stamp to a package or other container of cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the directory; and

2. Sell, offer, or possess for sale, in this state, or import for personal consumption in this state, cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the directory.

Added by Laws 2004, c. 266, § 4, emerg. eff. May 6, 2004. Amended by Laws 2009, c. 434, § 11, eff. Jan. 1, 2010.

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