69-2706. Tobacco product manufacturer; certification; contents; Tax Commissioner; powers and duties; directory; prohibited acts.

(1)(a) 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 prescribed by the Tax Commissioner a certification to the Tax Commissioner and the Attorney General no later than the thirtieth day of April each year, certifying under penalty of perjury that, as of the date of such certification, such tobacco product manufacturer either is a participating manufacturer in compliance with subdivision (1) of section 69-2703 or is a nonparticipating manufacturer in full compliance with subdivision (2) of section 69-2703.

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

(c) A nonparticipating manufacturer shall include in its certification (i) 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 (ii) a list of all of its brand families that have been sold in the state at any time during the current calendar year (A) indicating by an asterisk any brand family sold in the state during the preceding or current calendar year that is no longer being sold in the state as of the date of such certification and (B) identifying by name and address any other manufacturer of such brand families in the preceding calendar year. The nonparticipating manufacturer shall update such list thirty calendar days prior to any addition to or modification of its brand families by executing and delivering a supplemental certification to the Tax Commissioner and the Attorney General.

(d) In the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer, such certification shall further certify:

(i) That such nonparticipating manufacturer is registered to do business in the state or has appointed an agent for service of process in Nebraska and provided notice thereof as required by section 69-2707;

(ii) That such nonparticipating manufacturer has established and continues to maintain a qualified escrow fund pursuant to a qualified escrow agreement that has been reviewed and approved by the Attorney General or has been submitted for review by the Attorney General;

(iii) That such nonparticipating manufacturer is in full compliance with subdivision (2) of section 69-2703 and this section and any rules and regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant thereto;

(iv)(A) The name, address, and telephone number of the financial institution where the nonparticipating manufacturer has established such qualified escrow fund required pursuant to subdivision (2) of section 69-2703 and all rules and regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant thereto; (B) the account number of such qualified escrow fund and any subaccount number for the State of Nebraska; (C) the amount such nonparticipating manufacturer placed in such fund for cigarettes sold in the state during the preceding calendar year, the dates and amount of each such deposit, and such evidence or verification as may be deemed necessary by the Attorney General to confirm the foregoing; and (D) the amounts and dates of any withdrawal or transfer of funds the nonparticipating manufacturer made at any time from such fund or from any other qualified escrow fund into which it ever made escrow payments pursuant to subdivision (2) of section 69-2703 and all rules and regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant thereto;

(v) That such nonparticipating manufacturer consents to be sued in the district courts of the State of Nebraska for purposes of the state (A) enforcing any provision of sections 69-2703 to 69-2711 and any rules and regulations adopted and promulgated thereunder or (B) bringing a released claim as defined in section 69-2702; and

(vi) The information required to establish that such nonparticipating manufacturer has posted the appropriate bond or cash equivalent required under section 69-2707.01.

(e) 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 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 and (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 subdivision (2) of section 69-2703. 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 section 69-2703.

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

(2) The Tax Commissioner shall develop, maintain, and make available for public inspection or publish on its web site a directory listing all tobacco product manufacturers that have provided current and accurate certifications conforming to the requirements of subsection (1) of this section and all brand families that are listed in such certifications, and:

(a) The Tax Commissioner shall not include or retain in such directory the name or brand families of any tobacco product manufacturer that has failed to provide the required certification or whose certification the commissioner determines is not in compliance with subsection (1) of this section unless the Tax Commissioner has determined that such violation has been cured to his or her satisfaction;

(b) Neither a tobacco product manufacturer nor brand family shall be included or retained in the directory if the Attorney General recommends and notifies the Tax Commissioner who concludes, in the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer, that (i) any escrow payment required pursuant to subdivision (2) of section 69-2703 for any period for any brand family, whether or not listed by such 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 or (ii) any outstanding final judgment, including interest thereon, for violations of section 69-2703 has not been fully satisfied for such brand family and such manufacturer;

(c) As a condition to being listed and having its brand families listed in the directory, a tobacco product manufacturer shall also (i) certify annually that such manufacturer or its importer holds a valid permit under 26 U.S.C. 5713 and provide a copy of such permit to the Tax Commissioner and the Attorney General, (ii) upon request of the Tax Commissioner or Attorney General, provide documentary proof that it is not in violation of subdivision (1) of section 59-1520, and (iii) certify that it is in compliance with all reporting and registration requirements of 15 U.S.C. 376 and 376a;

(d) The Tax Commissioner shall update the directory no later than May 15 of each year to reflect certifications made on or before April 30 as required in subsection (1) of this section. The Tax Commissioner shall continuously 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 sections 69-2704 to 69-2711;

(e) The Tax Commissioner shall transmit by email or other practicable means to each stamping agent notice of any removal from the directory of any tobacco product manufacturer or brand family. Unless otherwise provided by agreement between the stamping agent and a tobacco product manufacturer, the stamping agent shall be entitled to a refund from a tobacco product manufacturer for any money paid by the stamping agent to the tobacco product manufacturer for any cigarettes of the tobacco product manufacturer still held by the stamping agent on the date of notice by the Tax Commissioner of the removal from the directory of that tobacco product manufacturer or the brand family or for any cigarettes returned to the stamping agent by its customers under subsection (8) of section 69-2709. The Tax Commissioner shall not restore to the directory the tobacco product manufacturer or the brand family until the tobacco product manufacturer has paid the stamping agent any refund due; and

(f) Every stamping agent shall provide and update as necessary an electronic mail address to the Tax Commissioner for the purpose of receiving any notifications as may be required by sections 69-2704 to 69-2711.

(3) The failure of the Tax Commissioner to provide notice of any intended removal from the directory as required under subdivision (2)(e) of this section or the failure of a stamping agent to receive such notice shall not relieve the stamping agent of its obligations under sections 69-2704 to 69-2711.

(4) It shall be unlawful for any person (a) to affix a Nebraska stamp pursuant to section 77-2603 to a package or other container of cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the directory, (b) to affix a tribal stamp to a package or other container of cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family not included in the directory except as authorized by an agreement pursuant to section 77-2602.06, or (c) to sell, offer, or possess for sale in this state cigarettes of a tobacco product manufacturer or brand family in this state not included in the directory.

Source