This bill makes multiple changes to the laws governing certain requirements and license provisions administered by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations. Part A of the bill amends areas of statute concerning license types in the following ways.
1. It creates a new license type for agency liquor stores that are purveyors of spirits.
2. It amends the definition of "vessel" by reducing the minimum number of passengers a ship must have to be considered a vessel for liquor licensing purposes.
3. It adds licensed restaurants to the entities eligible for an off-premises catering license.
4. It removes the requirement that premises holding both an on-premises restaurant or Class A restaurant license and an off-premises retail license must sell food with the purchase of an alcoholic beverage. Instead, the bill requires that food be available for free or purchase at all times that liquor is sold for on-premises consumption.
5. It authorizes licensees licensed to sell malt liquor for on-premises or off-premises consumption to also sell low-alcohol spirits products. It also authorizes a licensed in-state wholesaler of malt liquor to sell and distribute low-alcohol spirits products.
6. It authorizes reselling agents to sell fortified wine to retail licensees for on-premises consumption.
7. It creates statutory consistency within license types for auditoriums, civic auditoriums, outdoor stadiums and performing arts centers.
8. It provides that, in order to receive a liquor license, a hotel must have a minimum of 4 guest rooms and be licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services. It authorizes licensed hotels to permit consumers to transport liquor to individual guest rooms.
9. It authorizes the bureau to allow a wholesale licensee to rent or lease an area or room from any unlicensed venue for the purpose of inviting retail licensees to taste test wine or malt liquor products. Part B of the bill amends the bureau's annual reporting requirements to provide statements regarding lottery operations and liquor licensing operations for the preceding fiscal year rather than the calendar year. Part C of the bill prohibits a licensee or applicant for a license from receiving, directly or indirectly, anything of monetary value greater than $750 from a person engaged directly or indirectly in the various facets of manufacturing, distributing, selling, storing and transporting liquor. It specifies that the bona fide sale of goods by a manufacturer, distributor or out-of-state wholesaler does not violate that prohibition if the price of that sale is of fair market value. It also prohibits a licensee from giving a thing of value with the intent to induce a retailer to purchase alcohol from the licensee to the exclusion of alcohol offered for sale by other persons. Part D of the bill repeals the section of law governing signage restrictions for liquor licensees.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 494, HP 323: 28-A.2, 28-A.10, 28-A.13, 28-A.453, 28-A.709, 28-A.1012, 28-A.1052, 28-A.1061, 28-A.1068, 28-A.1069, 28-A.1070, 28-A.1074, 28-A.1402, 8.372, 28-A.84, 28-A.707, 28-A.710