S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
684
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
(PREFILED)
January 7, 2015
___________
Introduced by Sen. GALLIVAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law and the alcoholic beverage control
law, in relation to requiring the presentation of photographic iden-
tification for the purchase of tobacco products and alcoholic beverag-
es
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 1399-cc of the public health law, as amended by
chapter 542 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
S 1399-cc. Sale of tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nico-
tine, shisha, rolling papers or smoking paraphernalia to minors prohib-
ited. 1. As used in this section:
(a) "A device capable of deciphering any electronically readable
format" or "device" shall mean any commercial device or combination of
devices used at a point of sale or entry that is capable of reading the
information encoded on the bar code or magnetic strip of a driver's
license or non-driver identification card issued by the state commis-
sioner of motor vehicles;
(b) "Card holder" means any person presenting a driver's license or
non-driver identification card to a licensee, or to the agent or employ-
ee of such licensee under this chapter;
(c) "Smoking paraphernalia" means any pipe, water pipe, hookah, roll-
ing papers, vaporizer or any other device, equipment or apparatus
designed for the inhalation of tobacco;
(d) "Transaction scan" means the process involving an automated bar
code reader by which a licensee, or agent or employee of a licensee
under this chapter reviews a driver's license or non-driver identifica-
tion card presented as a precondition for the purchase of a tobacco
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01046-02-5
S. 684 2
product or herbal cigarettes pursuant to subdivision three of this
section; and
(e) "Liquid nicotine", "electronic liquid" or "e-liquid" means a
liquid composed of nicotine and other chemicals, and which is sold as a
product that may be used in an electronic cigarette.
2. Any person operating a place of business wherein tobacco products,
herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic cigarettes, are
sold or offered for sale is prohibited from selling such products,
herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha, electronic cigarettes or
smoking paraphernalia to individuals under eighteen years of age, and
shall post in a conspicuous place a sign upon which there shall be
imprinted the following statement, "SALE OF CIGARETTES, CIGARS, CHEWING
TOBACCO, POWDERED TOBACCO, SHISHA OR OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS, HERBAL
CIGARETTES, LIQUID NICOTINE, ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES, ROLLING PAPERS OR
SMOKING PARAPHERNALIA, TO PERSONS UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE IS PROHIB-
ITED BY LAW." Such sign shall be printed on a white card in red letters
at least one-half inch in height.
3. Sale of tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine,
shisha or electronic cigarettes in such places, other than by a vending
machine, shall be made only to an individual who demonstrates, through
(a) a valid driver's license or non-driver's identification card issued
by the commissioner of motor vehicles, the federal government, any
United States territory, commonwealth or possession, the District of
Columbia, a state government within the United States or a provincial
government of the dominion of Canada, or (b) a valid passport issued by
the United States government or any other country, or (c) an identifica-
tion card issued by the armed forces of the United States, indicating
that the individual is at least eighteen years of age. [Such identifica-
tion need not be required of any individual who reasonably appears to be
at least twenty-five years of age, provided, however, that such appear-
ance shall not constitute a defense in any proceeding alleging the sale
of a tobacco product, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or
electronic cigarettes to an individual under eighteen years of age.]
4. IT SHALL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ANY INDIVIDUAL SEEKING TO
PURCHASE CIGARETTES, POWDERED TOBACCO, HERBAL CIGARETTES, BIDIS, GUTKA,
SHISHA, ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES, OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS OR SMOKING
PARAPHERNALIA TO PRESENT TO THE SELLER, PRIOR TO PURCHASE, PHOTOGRAPHIC
IDENTIFICATION IN THE FORM OF: (A) A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE OR
NON-DRIVER'S IDENTIFICATION CARD ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR
VEHICLES, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ANY UNITED STATES TERRITORY, COMMON-
WEALTH OR POSSESSION, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A STATE GOVERNMENT WITH-
IN THE UNITED STATES OR A PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF THE DOMINION OF CANA-
DA; OR (B) A VALID PASSPORT ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OR
ANY OTHER COUNTRY; OR (C) AN IDENTIFICATION CARD ISSUED BY THE ARMED
FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, INDICATING THAT THE PURCHASER IS AT LEAST
EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.
5. A STATE OR LOCAL ENFORCEMENT AGENCY CONDUCTING AN INSPECTION TO
DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION SHALL, WITHIN
TEN DAYS OF THE DATE OF A VIOLATION, PROVIDE THE OPERATOR OF THE PREM-
ISES WITH WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE VIOLATION.
6. (a) Any person operating a place of business wherein tobacco
products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic ciga-
rettes are sold or offered for sale may perform a transaction scan as a
precondition for such purchases.
(b) In any instance where the information deciphered by the trans-
action scan fails to match the information printed on the driver's
S. 684 3
license or non-driver identification card, or if the transaction scan
indicates that the information is false or fraudulent, the attempted
transaction shall be denied.
(c) In any proceeding pursuant to section thirteen hundred ninety-
nine-ee of this article, it shall be an affirmative defense that such
person had produced a driver's license or non-driver identification card
apparently issued by a governmental entity, successfully completed that
transaction scan, and that the tobacco product, herbal cigarettes or
liquid nicotine had been sold, delivered or given to such person in
reasonable reliance upon such identification and transaction scan. In
evaluating the applicability of such affirmative defense the commission-
er shall take into consideration any written policy adopted and imple-
mented by the seller to effectuate the provisions of this chapter. Use
of a transaction scan shall not excuse any person operating a place of
business wherein tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine,
shisha or electronic cigarettes are sold, or the agent or employee of
such person, from the exercise of reasonable diligence otherwise
required by this chapter. Notwithstanding the above provisions, any such
affirmative defense shall not be applicable in any civil or criminal
proceeding, or in any other forum.
[5.] 7. A licensee or agent or employee of such licensee shall only
use a device capable of deciphering any electronically readable format,
and shall only use the information recorded and maintained through the
use of such devices, for the purposes contained in subdivision four of
this section. No licensee or agent or employee of a licensee shall
resell or disseminate the information recorded during such a scan to any
third person. Such prohibited resale or dissemination includes but is
not limited to any advertising, marketing or promotional activities.
Notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by this subdivision, such
records may be released pursuant to a court ordered subpoena or pursuant
to any other statute that specifically authorizes the release of such
information. Each violation of this subdivision shall be punishable by a
civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars.
[6.] 8. A licensee or agent or employee of such a licensee may elec-
tronically or mechanically record and maintain only the information from
a transaction scan necessary to effectuate this section. Such informa-
tion shall be limited to the following: (a) name, (b) date of birth, (c)
driver's license or non-driver identification number, and (d) expiration
date. The commissioner and state commissioner of motor vehicles shall
jointly promulgate any regulations necessary to govern the recording and
maintenance of these records by a licensee under this chapter. The
commissioner and the state liquor authority shall jointly promulgate any
regulation necessary to ensure quality control in the use of the trans-
action scan devices under this chapter and article five of the alcoholic
beverage control law.
[7.] 9. No person operating a place of business wherein tobacco
products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic ciga-
rettes are sold or offered for sale shall sell, permit to be sold, offer
for sale or display for sale any tobacco product, herbal cigarettes,
liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic cigarettes in any manner, unless
such products and cigarettes are stored for sale (a) behind a counter in
an area accessible only to the personnel of such business, or (b) in a
locked container; provided, however, such restriction shall not apply to
tobacco businesses, as defined in subdivision eight of section thirteen
hundred ninety-nine-aa of this article, and to places to which admission
is restricted to persons eighteen years of age or older.
S. 684 4
S 2. Section 1399-ee of the public health law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. IT SHALL BE AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE TO ANY ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
UNDER THIS SECTION THAT THE SALE WAS MADE TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS OR
REASONABLY APPEARED TO BE AT LEAST FORTY YEARS OF AGE.
S 3. Section 65 of the alcoholic beverage control law is amended by
adding three new subdivisions 8, 9 and 10 to read as follows:
8. IN ANY PROCEEDING PURSUANT TO SECTION ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN OF THIS
CHAPTER ARISING FROM A VIOLATION OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, FOR
A LICENSEE LICENSED UNDER SECTION FIFTY-FOUR OR FIFTY-FOUR-A OF THIS
CHAPTER, OR SECTION SIXTY-THREE OF THIS ARTICLE, IT SHALL BE AN AFFIRMA-
TIVE DEFENSE THAT THE SALE WAS MADE TO A PERSON WHO WAS OR REASONABLY
APPEARED TO BE AT LEAST FORTY YEARS OF AGE.
9. IT SHALL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ANY PERSON SEEKING TO PURCHASE
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FROM A LICENSEE LICENSED UNDER SECTION FIFTY-FOUR OR
FIFTY-FOUR-A OF THIS CHAPTER, OR SECTION SIXTY-THREE OF THIS ARTICLE TO
PRESENT TO THE LICENSEE OR AGENT OR EMPLOYEE OF SUCH LICENSEE, PRIOR TO
PURCHASE, PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION IN THE FORM OF: (A) A VALID DRIV-
ER'S LICENSE OR NON-DRIVER'S IDENTIFICATION CARD ISSUED BY THE COMMIS-
SIONER OF MOTOR VEHICLES, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ANY UNITED STATES
TERRITORY, COMMONWEALTH OR POSSESSION, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A STATE
GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR A PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF THE
DOMINION OF CANADA; OR (B) A VALID PASSPORT ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY; OR (C) AN IDENTIFICATION CARD ISSUED BY
THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
10. THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY SHALL, WITHIN TEN DAYS OF THE DATE OF
BECOMING AWARE OF A VIOLATION OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,
PROVIDE THE LICENSEE WITH WRITTEN NOTICE OF SUCH VIOLATION.
S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.