Virginia Code 9.1-216: Enforcement; civil penalties
A. A manufacturer or other person who knowingly sells or offers for sale cigarettes other than by retail sale in violation of § 9.1-210 shall be subject to a civil penalty not exceeding $100 for each such pack of cigarettes sold or offered for sale, provided that in no case shall the civil penalty assessed against any such person exceed $100,000 for sales or offers for sale during any 30-day period.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 9.1-216
- Director: means the Executive Director of the Department of Fire Programs. See Virginia Code 9.1-209
- Manufacturer: means (i) a person who manufactures or otherwise produces, or causes to be manufactured or produced, cigarettes intended for sale in the Commonwealth, including cigarettes intended for sale in the United States through an importer; (ii) the first purchaser anywhere that intends to resell in the United States cigarettes that the original manufacturer or maker does not intend for sale in the United States; or (iii) the successor to a person listed in clause (i) or (ii). See Virginia Code 9.1-209
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
- Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
- Retailer: means a person who (i) sells cigarettes to consumers through vending machines on fewer than 40 premises; (ii) otherwise sells cigarettes to consumers; or (iii) holds cigarettes for sale to consumers. See Virginia Code 9.1-209
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
B. A retailer who knowingly sells cigarettes in violation of § 9.1-210 shall be subject to a civil penalty not exceeding $100 for each pack of such cigarettes sold or offered for sale, provided that in no case shall the civil penalty assessed against any retailer exceed $25,000 for sales or offers for sale during any 30-day period.
C. Any person who violates any other provision of this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for the first violation. The civil penalty for each subsequent violation shall not exceed $5,000.
D. A manufacturer who knowingly makes a false certification under § 9.1-211 shall be subject to a civil penalty of at least $75,000 and not exceeding $250,000 for each false certification.
E. A civil penalty may be assessed by the Director only after the Director has consulted with the State Fire Marshal and has given the manufacturer charged with making such a false certification an opportunity for a public hearing. Where such a public hearing has been held, the Director shall make findings of fact and issue a written decision as to the occurrence of the violation and the amount of the penalty that is warranted, incorporating, when appropriate, an order therein requiring that the penalty be paid. Any hearing under this section shall be a formal adjudicatory hearing in accordance with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.). When the person charged with such a violation fails to avail himself of the opportunity for a public hearing, a civil penalty shall be assessed by the Director after the Director determines that a violation has occurred and the amount of the penalty is warranted and issues an order requiring that the penalty be paid.
F. The Director may collect civil penalties that are owed in the same manner as provided by law in respect to judgment of a court of record. Such civil penalties shall be paid into the Cigarette Fire Safety Standard and Firefighter Protection Act Fund referenced in subsection F of § 9.1-211 and used in carrying out the purposes of this chapter.