Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-20.11-5. Certification of compliance by manufacturers

(a) Each manufacturer shall submit to the director a written certification attesting that:

(b) Each cigarette listed in the certification shall be described with the following information:

(c) Such certifications shall be made available to the attorney general and the department of taxation for the purposes of ensuring compliance with this section.  Each cigarette certified under this section shall be recertified every three (3) years.

(d) For each certification a manufacturer shall pay to the director a two hundred and fifty dollar ($250) fee.  The director shall have the power to adjust this fee to an amount sufficient only to provide for processing, testing, enforcement and oversight activities related to this chapter.

(e) There is hereby established in the custody of the state comptroller a special fund to be known as the “Reduced Cigarette Ignition Propensity and Firefighter Protection Act Enforcement Fund”.  Such fund shall consist of all certification fees submitted by manufacturers, and shall, in addition to any other monies made available for such purpose, be available to the department of health and shall be used solely to support state processing, testing, enforcement and oversight activities related to this chapter.  All payments from the Reduced Cigarette Ignition Propensity and Firefighter Protection Act Enforcement Fund shall be made on the audit and warrant of the state treasurer on vouchers certified and submitted by the director.

(f) If a manufacturer has certified a cigarette pursuant to this section, and thereafter makes any change to such cigarette that is likely to alter its compliance with the reduced cigarette ignition propensity standards mandated by this chapter, then before such cigarette may be sold or offered for sale in this state such manufacturer shall retest such cigarette in accordance with the testing standards prescribed in § 23-20.11-4 of this act and maintain records of such retesting as required in § 23-20.11-4 of this act.  Any such altered cigarette which does not meet the performance standard set forth in § 23-20.11-4 of this act may not be sold in the state.