2018 -- S 2228 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED

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LC003527/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - PUBLIC HEALTH AND WORKPLACE SAFETY

ACT

     

     Introduced By: Senators Ruggerio, Miller, Coyne, Euer, and Goodwin

     Date Introduced: February 01, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 23-20.10-2 and 23-20.10-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-

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20.10 entitled "Public Health and Workplace Safety Act" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     23-20.10-2. Definitions.

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     The following words and phrases, whenever used in this chapter, shall be construed as

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defined in this section:

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     (1) "Assisted living residence" means a residence that provides personal assistance and

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meals to adults in accordance with chapter 17.4 of this title.

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     (2) "Bar" means an establishment that is devoted to the serving of alcoholic beverages for

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consumption by guests on the premises and in which the serving of food is only incidental to the

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consumption of those beverages, including, but not limited to, taverns, nightclubs, cocktail

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lounges and cabarets.

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     (3) "Business" means a sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, corporation, or

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other business entity formed for profit-making purposes, including retail establishments where

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goods or services are sold as well as professional corporations and other entities where legal,

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medial medical, dental, engineering, architectural or other professional services are delivered.

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     (4) “Principal or core business” means a business whose majority of customers are

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utilizing electronic nicotine delivery systems during normal business hours.

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     (5) "Electronic nicotine delivery system" means an electronic device that may be used to

 

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simulate smoking in the delivery of nicotine or other substance to a person inhaling from the

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device, and includes, but is not limited to, an electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic

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cigarillo, electronic pipe, or electronic hookah and any related device and any cartridge or other

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component of such device.

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     (6) “Electronic nicotine delivery system store” means a retail store, excluding mall

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kiosks, utilized primarily for the sale of electronic nicotine delivery system products and

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accessories.

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     (7) "Electronic smoking device establishment" means any business which sells food or

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alcohol and for which the principal or core business is selling electronic nicotine delivery system

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devices and where combustible substances are prohibited.

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     (i) Effective July l, 2018, all establishments that open thereafter must demonstrate

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quarterly, for a period of one year and annually thereafter, that the annual revenue generated from

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the serving of electronic nicotine delivery system devices is thirty-three percent (33%) or more of

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the total revenue for the establishment. Every such owner of an electronic smoking device

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establishment shall register no later than January 1 of each year with the division of taxation and

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shall provide, at a minimum, the owner's name and address and the name and address of the

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electronic smoking device establishment. The division of taxation in the department of

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administration shall be responsible for the determination under this section and shall promulgate

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any rules or forms necessary for the implementation of this section. The division of taxation in

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the department of administration shall be responsible for the determination under this section and

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shall promulgate any rules or forms necessary for the implementation of this section.

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     (4)(8) "Employee" means a person who is employed by an employer in consideration for

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direct or indirect monetary wages or profit and a person who volunteers his or her services for a

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nonprofit entity.

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     (5)(9) "Employer" means a person, business, partnership, association, corporation,

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including a municipal corporation, trust or nonprofit entity that employs the services of one or

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more individual persons.

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     (6)(10) "Enclosed area" means all space between a floor and ceiling that is enclosed on

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all sides by solid walls or windows (exclusive of doorways) that extend from the floor to the

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ceiling.

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     (7)(11) "Health care facility" means an office or institution providing care or treatment of

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diseases, whether physical, mental, emotional, or other medical, physiological or psychological

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conditions, including, but not limited to, hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals or other clinics,

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including weight control clinics, nursing homes, homes for the aging or chronically ill,

 

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laboratories, and offices of surgeons, chiropractors, physical therapists, physicians, dentists, and

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all specialists within these professions. This definition shall include all waiting rooms, hallways,

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private rooms, semi-private rooms, and wards within health care facilities.

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     (8)(12) "Place of employment" means an area under the control of a public or private

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employer that employees normally frequent during the course of employment, including, but not

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limited to, work areas, employees lounges, restrooms, conference rooms, meeting rooms,

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classrooms, employee cafeterias, and hallways. Vehicles owned by a public or private employer

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are covered under this definition provided that the vehicle is used by more than one person. A

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private residence is not a "place of employment" unless it is used as a child care, adult day care,

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or health care facility.

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     (9)(13) "Public place" means an enclosed area to which the public is invited or in which

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the public is permitted, including, but not limited to, banks, bars, educational facilities, health

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care facilities, laundromats, public transportation facilities, reception areas, restaurants, retail

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food production and marketing establishments, retail service establishments, retail stores,

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shopping malls, sports arenas, the state house, theaters and waiting rooms. A private residence is

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not a "public place" unless it is used as a child care, adult day care, or health care facility.

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     (10)(14) "Restaurant" means an eating establishment, including, but not limited to, coffee

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shops, cafeterias, and private and public school cafeterias, that gives or offers for sale food to the

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public, guests, or employees, as well as kitchens and catering facilities in which food is prepared

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on the premises for serving elsewhere. The term "restaurant" shall include a bar area within the

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restaurant.

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     (11)(15) "Retail tobacco store" means a retail store utilized primarily for the sale of

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tobacco, electronic cigarette products and accessories, or electronic nicotine delivery system

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products in which the total annual revenues generated by the sale of other products are no greater

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than twenty-five percent (25%) of the total revenue for the establishment. The division of taxation

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shall be responsible for the determination under this section and shall promulgate any rules or

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forms necessary for the implementation of this section.

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     (12)(16) "Service line" means an indoor line in which one or more persons are waiting for

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or receiving service of any kind, whether or not the service involves the exchange of money.

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     (13)(17) "Shopping mall" means an enclosed public walkway or hall area that serves to

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connect retail or professional establishments.

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     (14)(18) "Smoking" or "smoke" means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any

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lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, pipe, weed, plant, other tobacco product or plant product or

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other combustible substance in any manner or in any form intended for inhalation in any manner

 

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or form. "Smoking" or "smoke" also includes the use of electronic cigarettes, electronic cigars,

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electronic pipes, electronic nicotine delivery system products or other similar products that rely

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on vaporization or aerosolization; provided, however, that smoking shall not include burning

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during a religious ceremony.

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     (15)(19) (a) "Smoking bar" means an establishment whose business is primarily devoted

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to the serving of tobacco products for consumption on the premises, in which the annual revenues

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generated by tobacco sales are greater than fifty percent (50%) of the total revenue for the

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establishment and the serving of food or alcohol is only incidental to the consumption of such

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tobacco products. Effective July 1, 2015, all existing establishments and establishments that open

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thereafter must demonstrate quarterly, for a period of one year and annually thereafter, that the

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annual revenue generated from the serving of tobacco products is greater than fifty percent (50%)

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of the total revenue for the establishment, and the serving of food, alcohol, or beverages is only

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incidental to the consumption of such tobacco products. Every owner of a smoking bar shall

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register no later than January 1 of each year with the division of taxation and shall provide, at a

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minimum, the owner's name and address and the name and address of the smoking bar. The

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division of taxation in the department of administration shall be responsible for the determination

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under this section and shall promulgate any rules or forms necessary for the implementation of

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this section. The division of taxation in the department of administration shall be responsible for

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the determination under this section and shall promulgate any rules or forms necessary for the

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implementation of this section.

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     (b) Smoking bars shall only allow consumption of food and beverages sold by the

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establishment on the premises and the establishment shall have public access only from the street.

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     (c) Any smoking bar, as defined herein, is required to provide a proper ventilation system

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that will prevent the migration of smoke into the street.

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     (16)(20) "Sports arena" means sports pavilions, stadiums, (indoor or outdoor) organized

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sports fields, gymnasiums, health spas, boxing arenas, swimming pools, roller and ice rinks,

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bowling alleys, and other similar places where members of the general public assemble to engage

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in physical exercise, participate in athletic competition, or witness sports or other events.

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     (17)(21) "Legislature" means the general assembly of the state of Rhode Island.

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     23-20.10-6. Where smoking not regulated.

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     (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, the following

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areas shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter:

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     (1) Private residences, except when used as a licensed child care, adult day care or health

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care facility;

 

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     (2) Hotel and motel rooms that are rented to guests and are designated as smoking rooms;

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provided, however, that not more than fifty percent (50%) of rooms rented to guests in a hotel or

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motel may be so designated;

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     (3) Retail tobacco stores; provided that smoke from these places does not infiltrate into

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areas where smoking is prohibited under the provisions of this chapter;

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     (4) Private and semi-private rooms or designated areas in assisted living residences and

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nursing facilities as allowed by regulation of the department of health under chapters 17.4 and 17

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of this title;

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     (5) Outdoor areas of places of employment, except those covered by the provisions of

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§23-20.10-5;

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     (6) Any smoking bar as defined in §23-20.10-2(15) § 23-20.10-2(19);

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     (7) [Deleted by P.L. 2005, ch. 22, §1 and P.L. 2005, ch. 23, §1].

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     (8) [Deleted by P.L. 2005, ch. 22, §1 and P.L. 2005, ch. 23, §1].

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     (9) Any electronic nicotine delivery system store as defined in § 23-20.10-2(6) and any

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electronic smoking device establishment as defined in) § 23-20.10-2 (7).

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     (b) The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any stage performance provided that

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smoking is part of a theatrical production.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2018.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - PUBLIC HEALTH AND WORKPLACE SAFETY

ACT

***

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     This act would amend the definitions of "smoking" and "retail tobacco store" to include

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electronic smoking devices, electronic nicotine delivery system products and other products that

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rely on vaporization or aerosolization.

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     This act would take effect on July 1, 2018.

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