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The term “base period’ ^[1] means the one-year period ending the June 30 before the beginning of a fiscal year.

The term “gross domestic volume” means the volume of tobacco products—

The term “market share” means the share of each manufacturer or importer of a class of tobacco product (expressed as a decimal to the fourth place) of the total volume of domestic sales of the class of tobacco product during the base period for a fiscal year for an assessment under this section.

The Secretary, acting through the Commodity Credit Corporation, shall impose quarterly assessments during each of fiscal years 2005 through 2014, calculated in accordance with this section, on each tobacco product manufacturer and tobacco product importer that sells tobacco products in domestic commerce in the United States during that fiscal year.

Beginning with the calendar quarter ending on December 31 of each of fiscal years 2005 through 2014, the assessment payments over each four-calendar quarter period shall be sufficient to cover—

Assessments collected under this section shall be deposited in the Tobacco Trust Fund.

The percentage of the total amount required by subsection (b) to be assessed against, and paid by, the manufacturers and importers of each class of tobacco product in fiscal year 2005 shall be as follows:

For subsequent fiscal years, the Secretary shall periodically adjust the percentage of the total amount required under subsection (b) to be assessed against, and paid by, the manufacturers and importers of each class of tobacco product specified in paragraph (1) to reflect changes in the share of gross domestic volume held by that class of tobacco product.

If the Secretary determines that the assessment imposed under subsection (b) will result in insufficient amounts to carry out this subchapter during a fiscal year, the Secretary shall assess such additional amounts as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this subchapter during that fiscal year. The additional amount shall be allocated to manufacturers and importers of each class of tobacco product specified in paragraph (1) in the same manner and based on the same percentages applicable under paragraph (1) or (2) for that fiscal year.

The Secretary shall provide each manufacturer or importer subject to an assessment under subsection (b) with written notice setting forth the amount to be assessed against the manufacturer or importer for each quarterly payment period. The notice for a quarterly period shall be provided not later than 30 days before the date payment is due under paragraph (3).

The notice shall include the following information with respect to the quarterly period used by the Secretary in calculating the amount:

The assessment for each class of tobacco product specified in subsection (c)(1) shall be allocated on a pro rata basis among manufacturers and importers based on each manufacturer’s or importer’s share of gross domestic volume.

No manufacturer or importer shall be required to pay an assessment that is based on a share that is in excess of the manufacturer’s or importer’s share of domestic volume.

The calculation of the volume of domestic sales of a class of tobacco product by a manufacturer or importer, and by all manufacturers and importers as a group, shall be made by the Secretary based on information provided by the manufacturers and importers pursuant to subsection (h), as well as any other relevant information provided to or obtained by the Secretary.

The volume of domestic sales shall be calculated based on gross domestic volume.

For purposes of the calculations under this subsection and the certifications under subsection (h) by the Secretary, the volumes of domestic sales shall be measured by—

Each manufacturer and importer of tobacco products shall submit to the Secretary a certified copy of each of the returns or forms described by paragraph (2) that are required to be filed with a Federal agency on the same date that those returns or forms are filed, or required to be filed, with the agency.

The returns and forms described by this paragraph are those returns and forms that relate to—

Any person that knowingly fails to provide information required under this subsection or that provides false information under this subsection shall be subject to the penalties described in section 1003 of title 18. The Secretary may also assess against the person a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed two percent of the value of the kind of tobacco products manufactured or imported by the person during the fiscal year in which the violation occurred, as determined by the Secretary.

A manufacturer or importer subject to this section may contest an assessment imposed on the manufacturer or importer under this section by notifying the Secretary, not later than 30 business days after receiving the assessment notification required by subsection (d), that the manufacturer or importer intends to contest the assessment.

Not later than 180 days after October 22, 2004, the Secretary shall establish by regulation a procedure under which a manufacturer or importer contesting an assessment under this subsection may present information to the Secretary to demonstrate that the assessment applicable to the manufacturer or importer is incorrect. In challenging the assessment, the manufacturer or importer may use any information that is available, including third party data on industry or individual company sales volumes.

If a manufacturer or importer establishes that the initial determination of the amount of an assessment is incorrect, the Secretary shall revise the amount of the assessment so that the manufacturer or importer is required to pay only the amount correctly determined.

Not later than 30 days after receiving notice from a manufacturer or importer under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—

The regulations promulgated by the Secretary under paragraph (2) shall provide for the immediate payment by a manufacturer or importer challenging an assessment of that portion of the assessment that is not in dispute. The manufacturer and importer may place into escrow, in accordance with such regulations, only the portion of the assessment being challenged in good faith pending final determination of the claim.

Any manufacturer or importer aggrieved by a determination of the Secretary with respect to the amount of any assessment may seek review of the determination in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia or for the district in which the manufacturer or importer resides or has its principal place of business at any time following exhaustion of the administrative remedies available under subsection (i).

Administrative remedies shall be deemed exhausted if no decision by the Secretary is made within the time limits established under subsection (i)(4).

The court shall restrain collection of the excessive portion of any assessment or order a refund of excessive assessments already paid, along with interest calculated at the rate prescribed in section 3717 of title 31, if it finds that the Secretary’s determination is not supported by a preponderance of the information available to the Secretary.