| TO: | Honorable Rafael Anchia, Chair, House Committee on International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB703 by Canales (Relating to the hours of sale for liquor.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend the Alcoholic Beverage Code, Section 105.01 to allow holders of a package store permit for premises located in a county that borders the United Mexican States to sell or offer for sale liquor from noon until 9 p.m. on Sunday. The bill's provisions would apply to the following 14 counties which are located along the Texas-Mexico border: Brewster, Cameron, El Paso, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Maverick, Presidio, Starr, Terrell, Val Verde, Webb and Zapata.
Information from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission documents that Texans are importing liquor at Texas-Mexico border crossings, with Saturdays and Sundays being the highest volume days of the week. It is possible that opening liquor stores on the U.S. side of the border on Sundays could return some of those purchases occurring in Mexico to the counties on the Texas side.
The Comptroller reports that the bill would result in no significant fiscal impact. LBB staff research found that allowing liquor sales on Sundays would result in an increase in overall liquor consumption, and a General Funds net revenue gain after accounting for a decrease in mixed-drink sales. The gain from this bill is expected to be insignificant since the provisions of bill apply to only a limited number of counties.
| Source Agencies: | 458 Alcoholic Beverage Commission, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts
|
| LBB Staff: | UP, KJo, JI, YD, GG, ESi
|