BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1622

By: Stickland

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In certain localities, voters have authorized both beer and wine off-premise and mixed beverage on-premise permits, but no other permits. In these localities, some businesses, often restaurants, that are eligible for a full mixed beverage permit, have expressed a desire to sell just beer and wine because they would prefer to pay the lower permit fees associated with a beer and wine only permit. Interested parties contend that the current options for these businesses are either to pay for the more expensive mixed beverage permit and ignore the mixed beverage portion of the license or to force a costly local election to authorize the permit for just beer and wine.

H.B. 1622 seeks to allow a business in an area where voters have already approved beer and wine sales for off-premise consumption and mixed beverage permits for on-premise consumption to apply for a beer and wine only permit for on-premise consumption.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1622 amends the Alcoholic Beverage Code to authorize a wine and beer retailer's permit, a retail dealer's on-premise license, or a retail dealer's on-premise late hours license to be issued for a premises in an area in which the voters have approved both the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption only and the legal sale of mixed beverages in a local option election.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.