HB 395 -- Cigarette Merchandising

Sponsor:  St. Onge

This bill allows cigarette retailers to participate in a
cigarette manufacturer's marketing or promotional program in
which the retailer is paid by the manufacturer for providing
cigarette merchandising; shelf space, advertising, stocking, or
display of the manufacturer's product; and cigarette promotions
and discounts to customers.

The manufacturer can require participating retailers to provide
the promotion or discount to customers and require that the
retailer advertise and display the promotional product to
customers.

The bill prohibits cigarette manufacturers from:

(1)  Requiring the retailer to give the manufacturer's product
preferential treatment or to give a competitor's product
prejudicial treatment;

(2)  Requiring the retailer to allocate a certain amount of shelf
space or advertising space for the manufacturer's product;

(3)  Preventing a retailer from participating in promotional
programs for another manufacturer's product; or

(4)  Requiring the retailer to raise its prices on another
manufacturer's products.

Any manufacturer who violates these provisions is guilty of a
class B misdemeanor.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated July 25, 2003 at 10:11 am