Cigarette and tobacco products: retailers: Tobacco License Query System.

Existing law, the Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement Act, or STAKE Act, establishes various requirements for retailers relating to tobacco sales to minors, and authorizes enforcing agencies to assess civil penalties against a retailer for violations of the act. Existing law also establishes criminal penalties against a retailer that sells, gives, or furnishes tobacco products to a minor under certain circumstances. This bill would require the State Department of Public Health to develop and maintain the Tobacco License Query System that consists of a public, electronic database containing information regarding retailer violations of the STAKE Act and other specified laws intended to prevent illegal sales of tobacco to minors. This bill would require the department to make the Tobacco License Query System available to the public on the department's Internet Web site by July, 2014, and to update the system on a quarterly basis. By requiring local enforcing agencies to submit information regarding retailer violations of specified tobacco laws to the department, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.