PRINTER'S NO. 2989
No. 2203 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY WATERS, JAMES, WASHINGTON, BISHOP, BOYD, CORRIGAN,
CRAHALLA, CRUZ, DeWEESE, FRANKEL, GRUCELA, HERSHEY, HORSEY,
KIRKLAND, LEACH, LEDERER, PAYNE, PISTELLA, ROONEY, RUBLEY,
SCAVELLO, SOLOBAY, THOMAS, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD,
NOVEMBER 24, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
NOVEMBER 24, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act relating to the finances of the State
3 government; providing for the settlement, assessment,
4 collection, and lien of taxes, bonus, and all other accounts
5 due the Commonwealth, the collection and recovery of fees and
6 other money or property due or belonging to the Commonwealth,
7 or any agency thereof, including escheated property and the
8 proceeds of its sale, the custody and disbursement or other
9 disposition of funds and securities belonging to or in the
10 possession of the Commonwealth, and the settlement of claims
11 against the Commonwealth, the resettlement of accounts and
12 appeals to the courts, refunds of moneys erroneously paid to
13 the Commonwealth, auditing the accounts of the Commonwealth
14 and all agencies thereof, of all public officers collecting
15 moneys payable to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
16 and all receipts of appropriations from the Commonwealth,
17 authorizing the Commonwealth to issue tax anticipation notes
18 to defray current expenses, implementing the provisions of
19 section 7(a) of Article VIII of the Constitution of
20 Pennsylvania authorizing and restricting the incurring of
21 certain debt and imposing penalties; affecting every
22 department, board, commission, and officer of the State
23 government, every political subdivision of the State, and
24 certain officers of such subdivisions, every person,
25 association, and corporation required to pay, assess, or
26 collect taxes, or to make returns or reports under the laws
27 imposing taxes for State purposes, or to pay license fees or
28 other moneys to the Commonwealth, or any agency thereof,
29 every State depository and every debtor or creditor of the
30 Commonwealth," defining "bidis" or "beedies"; and prohibiting
1 the sale of bidis.
2 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
3 hereby enacts as follows:
4 Section 1. Section 202-A of the act of April 9, 1929
5 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, is amended by
6 adding a definition to read:
7 Section 202-A. Definitions.--As used in this article--
8 * * *
9 "Bidis" or "Beedies" shall mean a product containing tobacco
10 that is wrapped in temburni leaf (diospyros melanoxylon) or
11 tendu leaf (diospyros exculpra), or any other product that is
12 offered to, or purchased by, consumers as bidis or beedies.
13 * * *
14 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
15 Section 228.1-A. Prohibiting the Sale of Bidis.--(a) The
16 sale of bidis is prohibited.
17 (b) A cigarette dealer or wholesaler or retailer who holds a
18 license who sells bidis as prohibited by this subsection shall
19 be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500).
20 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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