Deposit charges, reports, and payments for beverage containers

(a) By January 1, 2005, every deposit beverage distributor who pays a deposit to the department shall charge the dealer or consumer a deposit equal to the refund value for each deposit beverage container sold in Hawaii. The deposit charge may appear as a separate line item on the invoice. (b) Each dealer shall charge the consumer the deposit beverage container deposit at the point of sale of the beverage, excluding sales for on-premises consumption. The deposit charge may appear as a separate line item on the invoice. (c) Each deposit beverage distributor shall generate and submit to the department a monthly report on the net number of deposit beverage containers sold, donated, or transferred by container size and type. All information contained in the reports, including confidential commercial and financial information, shall be treated as confidential and protected to the extent allowed by state law. (d) Payment of the deposit beverage container fee and deposits as described in section 342G-110 shall be made monthly based on reports of the deposit beverage distributors under subsection (c). (e) Beginning January 1, 2005, a deposit beverage distributor who annually imports or manufactures one hundred thousand or fewer deposit beverage containers may submit reports and payments required under subsections (c) and (d) on a semi-annual basis; provided that the semi-annual report and payment period shall end on June 30 and December 31 of each year. (f) The amount due from a deposit beverage distributor shall be the net number of deposit beverage containers sold multiplied by the sum of the prevailing deposit beverage container fee and the deposit value of 5 cents. Payment shall be made by check or money order payable to the "Department of Health, State of Hawaii". All reports and payments shall be made no later than the fifteenth day of the month following the end of the previous payment period. (g) The department may allow dealers to charge customers the refund value beginning November 1, 2004; provided that the deposit beverage containers are clearly marked with the refund value and the deposit beverage distributor has paid the refund value on each container to the department. The dealer shall inform customers that the deposits paid prior to January 1, 2005, shall not be redeemable until January 1, 2005.