Alcohol Beverage Retail Licensees

Sections 1 and 2 of the bill eliminate the liquor-licensed drugstore license, effective January 1, 2025. All active liquor-licensed drugstore licenses will convert to a fermented malt beverage and wine retailer license on that date; except that a licensee with a single location may choose to convert the liquor-licensed drugstore license to a retail liquor store license. Sections 18 through 29 make conforming amendments to account for the removal of the liquor-licensed drugstore license. Sections 3 and 4 require fermented malt beverage and wine retailers to display alcohol beverages for sale in a single location on the licensed premises and prohibit fermented malt beverage and wine retailers from selling alcohol beverages with greater than 14% alcohol by volume. Sections 5 and 6 expand on a wholesaler's duty not to discriminate when selling products to retailers and allows the state licensing authority to recover the cost of enforcing the anti-discrimination laws from a person found in violation of the anti-discrimination laws.

Current law limits the amount of alcohol beverages certain retailers can purchase from retail liquor stores, liquor-licensed drugstores, and fermented malt beverage and wine retailers. Sections 7 through 17 remove the cap as it applies to retail liquor stores.

For the delivery of alcohol beverages:

• Section 4 prohibits fermented malt beverage and wine retailers from delivering alcohol beverages to another person licensed to sell alcohol beverages; and
• Section 24 removes the prohibition on a retail liquor store delivering alcohol beverages to another retail liquor store.

Section 18 allows automated teller machine (ATM) cards associated with public assistance programs to be used at ATMs in grocery stores.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)