Under present law, any individual who has been stationed outside the United States while serving as a member of the armed forces of the United States or a member of a reserve or Tennessee national guard unit may apply to the alcoholic beverage commission for a one-time license allowing such individual to ship any wine such individual has purchased while residing outside the United States to this state. This bill extends the above provision to a Tennessee resident who has been residing outside of the United States due to employment. ON APRIL 14, 2015, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #5, #2, #3 AND #4 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 528, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #5 rewrites the bill to authorize Belle Meade Plantation and George Jones Museum to obtain licenses to sell alcoholic beverages and wine at retail for off-premises consumption from the same premises where those entities are licensed to sell such beverages for on-premises consumption under a restaurant license. AMENDMENT #2 adds to the definition of "premier type tourist resort" an entity that is authorized by the department of environment and conservation to operate a restaurant or other food and beverage service on the premises of a state park, which will allow alcohol sales for on-premises consumption at such a place. AMENDMENT #3 requires a person whose physical appearance does not reasonably demonstrate an age of 50 years or older to show proof of age before purchasing an alcoholic beverage, as opposed to the present law requirement that all persons must show proof of age. AMENDMENT #4 creates an exception to the present law requirement that consumers must present identification in order to purchase wine from a retail food store wine license holder. Under this amendment, there will be no penalty for a retail food store wine license holder who sells wine to an adult consumer who is or reasonably appears to be over 50 years of age and who failed to present identification. ON APRIL 22, 2015, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 528 FOR HOUSE BILL 542, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #6, AS AMENDED BY AMENDMENT #2 TO #6, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 528, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #6 AS AMENDED, adds a prohibition against advertising, describing, labeling, naming, selling, or referring to an intoxicating liquor for marketing or sales purposes as "Tennessee Moonshine" unless the intoxicating liquor is distilled in Tennessee. Any manufacturer who violates this amendment will be subject to suspension or revocation of its license for a period of not less than one year.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 58-3-112