consumer testing
(5) Exception for mailings for consumer testing by manufacturers.— (A) In general .— Subject to subparagraph (B), subsection (a) shall not preclude a legally operating cigarette manufacturer or a legally authorized agent of a legally operating cigarette manufacturer from using the United States Postal Service to mail cigarettes to verified adult smoker solely for consumer testing purposes, if— (i) the cigarette manufacturer has a permit, in good standing, issued under section 5713 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; (ii) the package of cigarettes mailed under this paragraph contains not more than 12 packs of cigarettes (240 cigarettes); (iii) the recipient does not receive more than 1 package of cigarettes from any 1 cigarette manufacturer under this paragraph during any 30-day period; (iv) all taxes on the cigarettes mailed under this paragraph levied by the State and locality of delivery are paid to the State and locality before delivery, and tax stamps or other tax-payment indicia are affixed to the cigarettes as required by law; and (v) (I) the recipient has not made any payments of any kind in exchange for receiving the cigarettes; (II) the recipient is paid a fee by the manufacturer or agent of the manufacturer for participation in consumer product tests; and (III) the recipient, in connection with the tests, evaluates the cigarettes and provides feedback to the manufacturer or agent. (B) Limitations .— Subparagraph (A) shall not— (i) permit a mailing of cigarettes to an individual located in any State that prohibits the delivery or shipment of cigarettes to individuals in the State, or preempt, limit, or otherwise affect any related State laws; or (ii) permit a manufacturer, directly or through a legally authorized agent, to mail cigarettes in any calendar year in a total amount greater than 1 percent of the total cigarette sales of the manufacturer in the United States during the calendar year before the date of the mailing. (C) Rules.— (i) In general .— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009, the Postmaster General shall issue a final rule which shall establish the standards and requirements that apply to all mailings described in subparagraph (A). (ii) Contents .— The final rule issued under clause (i) shall require— (I) the United States Postal Service to verify that any person submitting a tobacco product into the mails under this paragraph is a legally operating cigarette manufacturer permitted to make a mailing under this paragraph, or an agent legally authorized by the legally operating cigarette manufacturer to submit the tobacco product into the mails on behalf of the manufacturer; (II) the legally operating cigarette manufacturer submitting the cigarettes into the mails under this paragraph to affirm that— (aa) the manufacturer or the legally authorized agent of the manufacturer has verified that the recipient is an adult established smoker; (bb) the recipient has not made any payment for the cigarettes; (cc) the recipient has signed a written statement that is in effect indicating that the recipient wishes to receive the mailings; and (dd) the manufacturer or the legally authorized agent of the manufacturer has offered the opportunity for the recipient to withdraw the written statement described in item (cc) not less frequently than once in every 3-month period; (III) the legally operating cigarette manufacturer or the legally authorized agent of the manufacturer submitting the cigarettes into the mails under this paragraph to affirm that any package mailed under this paragraph contains not more than 12 packs of cigarettes (240 cigarettes) on which all taxes levied on the cigarettes by the State and locality of delivery have been paid and all related State tax stamps or other tax-payment indicia have been applied; (IV) that any mailing described in subparagraph (A) shall be sent through the systems of the United States Postal Service that provide for the tracking and confirmation of the delivery; (V) the United States Postal Service to maintain records relating to a mailing described in subparagraph (A) during the 3-year period beginning on the date of the mailing and make the information available to persons enforcing this section; (VI) that any mailing described in subparagraph (A) be marked with a United States Postal Service label or marking that makes it clear to employees of the United States Postal Service that it is a permitted mailing of otherwise nonmailable tobacco products that may be delivered only to the named recipient after verifying that the recipient is an adult; and (VII) the United States Postal Service shall deliver a mailing described in subparagraph (A) only to the named recipient and only after verifying that the recipient is an adult. (D) Definitions .— In this paragraph— (i) the term “adult” means an individual who is not less than 21 years of age; and (ii) the term “consumer testing” means testing limited to formal data collection and analysis for the specific purpose of evaluating the product for quality assurance and benchmarking purposes of cigarette brands or sub-brands among existing adult smokers.