Sec. 155.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Bonded agent" means a person in this state who is an agent of a person outside this state and receives cigars and tobacco products in interstate commerce and stores the cigars and tobacco products for distribution or delivery to distributors under orders from the person outside this state.
(2) "Cigar" means a roll of fermented tobacco that is wrapped in tobacco and the main stream of smoke from which produces an alkaline reaction to litmus paper.
(3) "Commercial business location" means the entire premises occupied by a permit applicant or a person required to hold a permit under this chapter.
(4) "Common carrier" means a motor carrier registered under Chapter 643, Transportation Code, or a motor carrier operating under a certificate issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission or a successor agency to the Interstate Commerce Commission.
(5) "Consumer" means a person who possesses tobacco products for personal consumption.
(6) "Distributor" means a person who:
(A) receives tobacco products for the purpose of making a first sale in this state from a manufacturer outside the state or within the state or otherwise brings or causes to be brought into this state tobacco products for sale, use, or consumption;
(B) manufactures or produces tobacco products; or
(C) is an importer or import broker.
(7) "Export warehouse" means a person in this state who receives tobacco products from manufacturers and stores the tobacco products for the purpose of making sales to authorized persons for resale, use, or consumption outside the United States.
(8) "First sale" means, except as otherwise provided by this chapter:
(A) the first transfer of possession in connection with a purchase, sale, or any exchange for value of tobacco products in intrastate commerce;
(B) the first use or consumption of tobacco products in this state; or
(C) the loss of tobacco products in this state whether through negligence, theft, or other unaccountable loss.
(9) "Importer" or "import broker" means a person who ships, transports, or imports into this state tobacco products manufactured or produced outside the United States for the purpose of making a first sale in this state.
(10) "Manufacturer" means a person who manufactures or produces tobacco products and sells tobacco products to a distributor.
(11) "Manufacturer's representative" means a person employed by a manufacturer to sell or distribute the manufacturer's tobacco products.
(12) "Permit holder" means a bonded agent, distributor, wholesaler, manufacturer, importer, or retailer required to obtain a permit under Section 155.041.
(13) "Place of business" means:
(A) a commercial business location where tobacco products are sold;
(B) a commercial business location where tobacco products are kept for sale or consumption or otherwise stored; or
(C) a vehicle from which tobacco products are sold.
(14) "Retailer" means a person who engages in the practice of selling tobacco products to consumers and includes the owner of a coin-operated vending machine.
(15) "Tobacco product" means:
(A) a cigar;
(B) smoking tobacco, including granulated, plug-cut, crimp-cut, ready-rubbed, and any form of tobacco suitable for smoking in a pipe or as a cigarette;
(C) chewing tobacco, including Cavendish, Twist, plug, scrap, and any kind of tobacco suitable for chewing;
(D) snuff or other preparations of pulverized tobacco; or
(E) an article or product that is made of tobacco or a tobacco substitute and that is not a cigarette.
(16) "Wholesaler" means a person, including a manufacturer's representative, who sells or distributes tobacco products in this state for resale but who is not a distributor.
Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1666, ch. 389, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1984, 68th Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 31, art. 2, Sec. 7, eff. Oct. 2, 1984; Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 58, Sec. 21, eff. March 1, 1986; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 409, Sec. 45, eff. June 7, 1991; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 705, Sec. 11, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 30.263, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1040, Sec. 46, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 540, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1263, Sec. 51, eff. Oct. 1, 2001.
Section: 155.001 155.002 155.021 155.0211 155.022 155.023 155.024 155.026 155.027 155.041 155.0415 155.045 155.048 155.0481 155.049 NextLast modified: September 28, 2016