Certifications; Directory; Tax Stamps.

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9-4-1205. Certifications; directory; tax stamps.

(a) Every tobacco product manufacturer whose cigarettes are sold in this state, whether directly or through a distributor, retailer or similar intermediary, shall annually execute and deliver on a form prescribed by the attorney general a certification to the department and the attorney general no later than April 30 of each year, certifying under penalty of false swearing that, as of the date of the certification, the tobacco manufacturer either is a participating manufacturer or is otherwise in full compliance with this act and W.S. 9-4-1202.

(b) A participating manufacturer shall include a complete list of its brand families in its certification under this section. The participating manufacturer shall update its list thirty (30) days prior to any addition to, or modification of, its brand families by executing and delivering a supplemental certification to the department and the attorney general.

(c) In the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer:

(i) The certification shall include a complete list of its brand families:

(A) Separately listing its brand families of cigarettes and the number of units sold for each brand family that were sold in the state during the preceding calendar year;

(B) That have been sold in the state at any time during the current calendar year;

(C) 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

(D) Identifying by name and address any other manufacturer of the brand families in the preceding or current calendar year.

(ii) The certification shall further certify:

(A) That the nonparticipating manufacturer is registered to do business in the state or has appointed a resident agent in the state for service of process and has provided notice with respect to the appointment of an agent as required by W.S. 9-4-1206(b);

(B) That the nonparticipating manufacturer has established and continues to maintain a qualified escrow fund and has executed a qualified escrow agreement that has been reviewed and approved by the attorney general and that governs the qualified escrow fund;

(C) That the nonparticipating manufacturer is in full compliance with W.S. 9-4-1202, this act and any regulations promulgated thereto;

(D) The name, address and telephone number of the financial institution where the nonparticipating manufacturer has established the qualified escrow fund required under W.S. 9-4-1202(a)(ii), the account number of the qualified escrow fund and subaccount number for the state, the amount the nonparticipating manufacturer placed in the fund for cigarettes sold in the state during the preceding calendar year, the date and amount of each deposit and evidence or verification as may be deemed necessary by the attorney general to confirm the deposit and the amount and date of any withdrawal or transfer of funds the nonparticipating manufacturer made at any time from the fund or from any other qualified escrow fund into which it ever made escrow payments pursuant to W.S. 9-4-1202.

(d) A tobacco product manufacturer shall not include a brand family in its certification unless:

(i) In the case of a participating manufacturer, the participating manufacturer affirms that the brand family is to be deemed to be its cigarettes for the purpose of calculating payments under the master settlement agreement for the relevant year, in the volume and shares determined pursuant to the master settlement agreement; or

(ii) 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 W.S. 9-4-1202.

(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting or otherwise affecting the state's right 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 this act and W.S. 9-4-1202.

(f) The tobacco product manufacturer shall maintain all invoices and documentation of sales and other information relied upon for the certifications required under this section for a period of five (5) years, unless otherwise required by law to maintain the information for a longer period of time.

(g) The attorney general shall develop and make available for public inspection a directory listing all tobacco product manufacturers that have provided current and accurate certifications conforming to the requirements of this section and all brand families that are listed in the certifications, except as follows:

(i) The attorney general shall not include or retain in the directory the name or brand families of any nonparticipating manufacturer who fails to provide the required certification or whose certification the attorney general determines is not in compliance with subsection (c) of this section and W.S. 9-4-1206, unless the attorney general has determined that the violation has been cured to his satisfaction;

(ii) Neither a tobacco product manufacturer nor a brand family shall be included or retained in the directory if the attorney general concludes that:

(A) In the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer, all escrow payments required pursuant to W.S. 9-4-1202 for any period for any brand family, whether or not listed by the nonparticipating manufacturer, have not been fully paid into a qualified escrow fund governed by a qualified escrow agreement that has been approved by the attorney general; or

(B) All outstanding final judgments, including interest thereon, for violations of W.S. 9-4-1202 have not been fully satisfied for the brand family and the manufacturer.

(h) The attorney general shall update the directory required under subsection (g) of this section as necessary 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 this act. A determination by the attorney general to remove from the directory, or not to list on the directory, a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family shall be subject to review as provided by the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act.

(j) Every licensed wholesaler shall provide and update as necessary a current address to the attorney general for the purpose of receiving any notifications that may be required under this act.

(k) No person shall affix a stamp to a package or other container of cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the directory required under subsection (g) of this section, or sell, offer for sale or possess for sale in this state, cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the directory.


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