Section 6-4-17 - Certification by tobacco product manufacturer. - New Mexico Statutes

6-4-17. Certification by tobacco product manufacturer.

A.     No later than April 30 of each year, a tobacco product manufacturer whose cigarettes are sold in this state, whether directly or through a distributor, retailer or similar intermediary, shall execute and deliver to the attorney general, in the manner and on the form prescribed by the attorney general requesting such information as the attorney general deems reasonably necessary to make the determination required by Section 6-4-18 NMSA 1978, a certification pursuant to this section.  The certification shall: 

(1)     be made under penalty of perjury;

(2)     state that as of the date of the certification, the tobacco product manufacturer is either a participating or a nonparticipating manufacturer; and

(3)     include the information required pursuant to Subsection B or C of this section.

B.     In its certification, a participating manufacturer shall include a complete list of its brand families.

C.     In its certification, a nonparticipating manufacturer shall: 

(1)     certify that it is registered to do business in the state or has appointed an agent for service of process and has provided written notice to the attorney general in accordance with Section 6-4-20 NMSA 1978; 

(2)     certify that it is in full compliance with Section 6-4-13 NMSA 1978, the Tobacco Escrow Fund Act [6-4-14 NMSA 1978] and any rules promulgated pursuant to that act, including all annual payments as may be required by the attorney general;

(3)     certify that it has established and maintains a qualified escrow fund governed by a qualified escrow agreement that has been reviewed and approved by the attorney general and provide: 

(a)     the name, address and telephone number of the financial institution where the fund is established;

(b)     the account number of the fund and the subaccount number for the state;

(c)     the amounts placed in the fund for cigarettes sold in the state during the preceding calendar year, including the date and amount of each deposit and any other evidence or verification of the amounts as the attorney general deems necessary; and 

(d)     the amount and date of each withdrawal or transfer of funds made at any time from the fund or from any other qualified escrow fund into which the nonparticipating manufacturer has made escrow payments pursuant to Section 6-4-13 NMSA 1978; and

(4)     include a complete list of its brand families and:

(a)     separately list the number of units sold in the state for each brand family during the preceding calendar year, indicating any brand family sold in the state during the preceding calendar year that is no longer being sold as of the date of certification; and 

(b)     indicate all of its brand families that have been sold in the state at any time during the current calendar year, identifying by name and address any other manufacturer of the brand families in the preceding or current calendar year.

D.     In its certification, a nonparticipating manufacturer located outside of the United States shall also: 

(1)     certify that it has provided a declaration, on a form prescribed by the attorney general, from each of its importers into the United States of any of its brand families to be sold in New Mexico that the importer accepts joint and several liability with the nonparticipating manufacturer for all escrow deposits due in accordance with Section 6-4-13 NMSA 1978, for all penalties assessed in accordance with Section 6-4-13 NMSA 1978 and for payment of all costs and attorney fees imposed in accordance with the Tobacco Escrow Fund Act or Section 6-4-13 NMSA 1978; and

(2)     certify that it has appointed a resident agent for service of process in New Mexico in accordance with Section 6-4-20 NMSA 1978.

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

(1)     in the case of a participating manufacturer, the participating manufacturer affirms that the brand family is to be deemed 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 

(2)     in the case of a nonparticipating manufacturer, the nonparticipating manufacturer affirms that the brand family is to be deemed its cigarettes for purposes of Section 6-4-13 NMSA 1978. 

F.     A tobacco product manufacturer shall update the list of its brand families thirty days prior to any addition to or modification of its brand families by executing and delivering a supplemental certification to the attorney general. 

G.     A tobacco product manufacturer shall maintain all invoices and documentation of sales and other information relied upon for its certification to the attorney general for a period of five years, unless otherwise required by law to maintain them for a greater period of time.

H.     Nothing in this section shall limit or otherwise affect 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 6-4-13 NMSA 1978.