For purposes of this Chapter, the following terms have the respective meanings ascribed to them in this Chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

(1)  “Approved provider” means an individual, unincorporated association, partnership, or corporation approved by the program administrator to provide server or security personnel training courses.

(2)  “Commissioner” means the commissioner of alcohol and tobacco control.

(3)  “Program administrator” means a committee of seven persons provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 26:933.

(4)  “Responsible vendor” means any vendor as defined in Paragraph (10) of this Section who qualifies and maintains certification in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.

(5)  “Security Personnel” includes any person, other than a server, who monitors the entrance and other areas of an establishment for purposes of identifying underage and intoxicated persons, enforcing establishment rules and regulations and otherwise providing security for the establishment and its customers where alcoholic beverages are the principal commodity sold for consumption on the premises.  “Security personnel” shall not include persons employed by hotels or motels which consist of sleeping rooms, cottages or cabins unless the person works primarily in an area on the licensed premises of a hotel or motel where the principal commodity sold is alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed premises.

(6)  “Server” means any employee of a vendor, other than security personnel, who is authorized to sell or serve alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or vapor products in the normal course of his or her employment or deals with customers who purchase or consume alcoholic beverages or tobacco products. “Server” shall not include individuals employed on a temporary or casual basis by a bona fide hotel or motel for banquets, catering, or other special events.

(7)  “Server permit” means the permit issued to a server or security personnel upon completion of all required server or security personnel training courses and all required refresher courses provided for in this Chapter.

(8)  “Tobacco wholesale dealer” means a dealer whose principal business is that of a wholesaler, who sells cigarettes, cigars, or other tobacco products to retail dealers for purpose of resale, who is a bona fide wholesaler, and fifty percent or more of whose total tobacco sales are to retail stores other than its own or its subsidiaries within Louisiana. Wholesale dealer shall include any person in the state who acquires cigarettes solely for the purpose of resale in vending machines, provided such person services fifty or more cigarette vending machines in Louisiana other than his own, and a Louisiana dealer who was affixing cigarette and tobacco stamps as of January 1, 1974.

(9)  “Tobacconist” means any bona fide tobacco retailer engaged in receiving bulk smoking tobacco for the purpose of blending such tobacco for retail sale at a particular retail outlet where fifty percent or more of the total purchases for the preceding twelve months were purchases of tobacco products, excluding cigarettes.

(10)  “Vendor” means any holder of a Class “A” General, Class “A” Restaurant, or Class “B” retail permit issued pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 26:71 or 271 or any holder of a Retail Dealer Permit defined by La. Rev. Stat. 26:902.  “Vendor” shall not include any holder of a Type A or Type B temporary alcoholic beverage permit issued pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 26:793(A)(1).

Acts 1997, No. 1054, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1370, §4, eff. Oct. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, No. 881, §1; Acts 2010, No. 412, §1; Acts 2012, No. 463, §1; Acts 2014, No. 278, §2, eff. May 28, 2014; Acts 2014, No. 835, §1, eff. June 23, 2014.