This bill establishes the "New Jersey Wine Promotion Account" within the Department of Agriculture, which will receive dedicated sales tax revenues from retail sales of locally produced wine. Specifically, the account will be credited with an amount equal to the revenue collected from the sales and use tax on wine produced at New Jersey wineries, including wine sold for consumption on the premises. The funds in this account will be utilized by the Secretary of Agriculture for research and development related to viticulture and winemaking, as well as for promoting New Jersey wines, in alignment with recommendations from the New Jersey Wine Industry Advisory Council.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions requiring retail sellers of New Jersey-produced wine to provide customers with a detailed sales slip that separately states the retail price and the tax collected on the wine sale. This requirement aims to ensure transparency in the sales process and facilitate accurate reporting of tax revenues dedicated to the promotion of New Jersey wines. Notably, these record-keeping requirements will not apply to vendors that primarily serve meals to customers. The bill is set to take effect immediately but will first apply six months after its enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 4:10-76, 54:32B-24