Distributor obligations; production of records and testimony; Attorney General and Department of Revenue information sharing; nonparticipating manufacturer escrow requirements.

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(2) A distributor shall maintain for a period of five years all invoices and documentation of sales of cigarettes manufactured by nonparticipating manufacturers and any other information relied upon in reporting to the Attorney General under subsection (1) of this section. The distributor shall make the invoices and other documentation available to the Attorney General upon request.

(3)(a) The Attorney General may compel by subpoena the production of any books, papers, records or other information required to be maintained under subsection (2) of this section and may require any person to appear and provide testimony pertinent to the information described in subsection (2) of this section. The subpoena shall have the same force and effect and be served in the same manner as in a civil action in the circuit court.

(b) If a person fails to produce any books, papers, records or other information required to be produced, fails to appear or testify about a matter for which testimony may be compelled or otherwise fails to comply with a subpoena issued under this subsection, the Attorney General may apply to the circuit court of the county in which the person to whom the subpoena was issued resides or may be found. The application shall be for an order requiring the person to comply with the demand or request of the Attorney General. The application shall be made by ex parte motion. The order of the court shall require the person against whom the order is directed to comply with the request or demand of the Attorney General within 10 days after the service of the order, or such further time as the court may grant, or to justify the failure to comply with the order within that time.

(c) Failure to comply with an order under this subsection shall constitute contempt of court. The remedy provided under this paragraph shall be in addition to any other remedy provided by law.

(4) A distributor shall provide the Attorney General with an electronic mail address so that the Attorney General may notify the distributor of the information required under subsections (1) and (8) of this section.

(5) The Attorney General and the Department of Revenue may share with each other information received under ORS 180.400 to 180.455, ORS chapter 323 and corresponding rules, and may share such information with federal, state or local agencies for purposes of enforcement of ORS 180.400 to 180.455, ORS chapter 323 and corresponding rules, or the corresponding laws of other states and with the data clearinghouse or similar entity established pursuant to a settlement agreement between the State of Oregon and the participating manufacturers, and with any parties necessary to effectuate the terms of the settlement agreement.

(6) The Attorney General may at any time require a nonparticipating manufacturer to produce proof from the financial institution in which the nonparticipating manufacturer has established a qualified escrow fund for the purpose of compliance with ORS 323.806 of the amount of moneys in the fund, exclusive of interest, the amount and date of each deposit and the amount and date of each withdrawal from the fund.

(7) The Attorney General shall, upon request of a nonparticipating manufacturer whose compliance with escrow requirements is at issue, provide the manufacturer with copies of all documents upon which any proposed addition to the escrow is based. Documents required to be provided under this subsection include, but are not necessarily limited to, reports under this section from distributors. The information provided to the manufacturer under this subsection may not include information about brand families or products of any tobacco product manufacturer other than the one to whom the information is provided. The information may be used only for the purpose of determining the appropriate amount of escrow deposits.

(8) The Attorney General may require a distributor or a tobacco product manufacturer to submit any additional information, including, but not limited to, samples of the packaging and labeling of each brand family, to enable the Attorney General to determine whether a tobacco product manufacturer is in compliance with this section and ORS 180.410, 180.415, 180.420, 180.430 and 180.440 and with rules adopted under ORS 180.445 and 180.450. [2003 c.801 §8; 2009 c.227 §1; 2017 c.687 §7]

Note: See note under 180.400.


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