Controlled substances: butane.

Existing law requires a person or entity that sells any quantity of specified substances to record the date of sale, product description, purchaser's identification, and other specified information. Existing law requires the seller to retain this information for a period of 5 years and to present it upon demand by any law enforcement officer or authorized representative of the Attorney General. Existing law requires a person or entity that purchases any quantity of these specified substances to record the date of purchase, product description, and other specified information for a period of 3 years and to present it upon demand by any law enforcement officer or authorized representative of the Attorney General. A violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would require a person or entity that sells any quantity of nonodorized butane, as defined, to a customer, as defined, to record specified information about the transaction, including the identity of the customer and to maintain that information for 2 years. The bill would, subject to available funds, require the Department of Justice to create a database of butane purchases and to post a notice on its Internet Web site when the database is operational. The bill would require sellers of nonodorized butane to keep hard copy records of nonodorized butane sales and to electronically submit a report to the Department of Justice upon request. After the database system described above is operational, this bill would make it unlawful to sell to any one customer more than 600 milliliters of nonodorized butane in a 30-day period or to sell any quantity of nonodorized butane to a customer that would cause the customer to exceed 600 milliliters of nonodorized butane purchased from all sellers in a 30-day period. The bill would authorize a civil penalty to be assessed for the violation of these provisions.