Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 892 amends the Alcoholic Beverage Code to establish the Texas Wine Marketing Assistance Program in the Department of Agriculture, requires the commissioner of agriculture to appoint an advisory committee to assist in establishing and implementing the program, and provides for the funding of the program. The bill sets out the program's responsibilities relating to the promotion and marketing and education of the public about wines produced in Texas and authorizes the commissioner to request that the commission require all package stores to participate in the program under certain circumstances. The bill authorizes a purchaser of wine in this state to ship it from the winery to the person's residence, if the person is physically present at the time of the purchase and is 21 years of age or older, and to a package store that participates in the program if the person is not present. The bill also authorizes a package store that participates in the program to ship wine to a person who resides in a dry area.

            House Bill 892 limits the sale of wine to ultimate consumers by a holder of a wine permit located in a dry area to an amount not to exceed 25,000 gallons annually sold in unbroken packages and authorizes the holder of a wine permit to organize no more than four wine festivals annually. The bill requires a petition for a local option election related to the legal sale of wine on the premises of the holder of a winery permit to have the signatures of 25 percent of the registered voters in the political subdivision who voted in the most recent election and prescribes the ballot presentation for such an election.