Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

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68th Legislature 2023                                                                                             SB 312.1
                                                SENATE BILL NO. 312
     INTRODUCED BY T. VERMEIRE, D. SALOMON, J. WELBORN, D. ZOLNIKOV, R. LYNCH, C. POPE, E.
                                               BOLDMAN, C. FRIEDEL
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  A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT REVISING BREWERY LAWS TO ALLOW FOR COLLABORATION
  BEERS; ALLOWING BREWERS TO SERVE BEER NOT BREWED ON THE PREMISES IF MADE IN
  COLLABORATION WITH ANOTHER MONTANA SMALL BREWERY; PROVIDING RESTRICTIONS; AND
  AMENDING SECTIONS 16-3-213 AND 16-3-214, MCA.”
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  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
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          Section 1. Section 16-3-213, MCA, is amended to read:
          "16-3-213.   Brewers or beer importers not to retail beer -- small brewery exceptions -- brewer
  collaboration. (1) Except as provided for small breweries in subsection (2), it is unlawful for any brewer or
  breweries or beer importer to have or own any permit to sell or retail beer at any place or premises. It is the
  intention of this section to prohibit brewers and beer importers from engaging in the retail sale of beer. This
  section does not prohibit breweries from selling and delivering beer manufactured by them, in original
  packages, at either wholesale or retail.
          (2)      (a) For the purposes of this section, a "small brewery" is a brewery that has an annual
  nationwide production of not less than 100 barrels or more than 60,000 barrels, including:
          (i)      the production of all affiliated manufacturers; and
          (ii)     beer purchased from any other beer producer to be sold by the brewery.
          (b)      A small brewery may, at one location for each brewery license and at no more than three
  locations including affiliated manufacturers, provide samples of beer that were brewed and fermented on the
  premises in a sample room located on the licensed premises, subject to subsection (4). The samples may be
  provided with or without charge between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. No more than 48 ounces of malt
  beverage may be sold or given to each individual customer during a business day for consumption on the
  premises or in prepared servings through curbside pickup, provided that the 48-ounce limit may not in any way
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68th Legislature 2023                                                                                              SB 312.1
  limit a small brewery's sales as provided in 16-3-214(1)(a)(iii). No more than 2,000 barrels may be provided
  annually for on-premises consumption including all affiliated manufacturers.
          (3)      For the purposes of this section, "affiliated manufacturer" means a manufacturer of beer:
          (a)      that one or more members of the manufacturing entity have more than a majority share interest
  in or that controls directly or indirectly another beer manufacturing entity;
          (b)      for which the business operations conducted between or among entities are interrelated or
  interdependent to the extent that the net income of one entity cannot reasonably be determined without
  reference to operations of the other entity; or
          (c)      of which the brand names, products, recipes, merchandise, trade name, trademarks, labels, or
  logos are identical or nearly identical.
          (4)      A small brewery may serve in its sample room beer not brewed and fermented on the premises
  if:
          (a)      the beer is brewed in collaboration with another brewery, including multiple breweries;
          (b)      all brewers were actively involved in the brewing of the beer. For the purposes of this
  subsection (4)(b), the term "actively involved" means that all brewers were present for the brewing process.
          (c)      no more than six distinct collaboration beers, brewed and fermented at another brewery, may
  be served in a calendar year;
          (d)      the amount of beer that a brewer serves under this section, for any one type of distinct
  collaboration beer, does not exceed an equal proportion of the beer produced based on the number of
  participating breweries or seven barrels, whichever is less; and
          (e)      all brewers report to the department:
          (i)      that the brewers will collaborate as provided in this subsection (4) prior to the collaboration; and
          (ii)     sales from the collaboration for tax reporting."
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          Section 2. Section 16-3-214, MCA, is amended to read:
          "16-3-214.    Beer sales by brewers -- sample room exception. (1) Subject to the limitations and
  restrictions contained in this code, a brewer who manufactures less than 60,000 barrels of beer a year, upon
  payment of the annual license fee imposed by 16-4-501 and upon presenting satisfactory evidence to the
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68th Legislature 2023                                                                                             SB 312.1
  department as required by 16-4-101, must be licensed by the department, in accordance with the provisions of
  this code and rules prescribed by the department, to:
          (a)      sell and deliver beer from its storage depot or brewery to:
          (i)      a wholesaler;
          (ii)     licensed retailers if the brewer uses the brewer's own equipment, trucks, and employees to
  deliver the beer and if:
          (A)      individual deliveries, other than draught beer, are limited to the case equivalent of 8 barrels a
  day to each licensed retailer; and
          (B)      the total amount of beer sold or delivered directly to all retailers does not exceed 10,000 barrels
  a year; or
          (iii)    the public, including curbside pickup between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m. in original packaging or
  growlers;
          (b)      provide its own products for consumption on its licensed premises without charge or, if it is a
  small brewery, provide its own products or collaboration products at a sample room as provided in 16-3-213; or
          (c)      do any one or more of the acts of sale and delivery of beer as provided in this code.
          (2)      A brewery may not use a common carrier for delivery of the brewery's product to the public or
  to licensed retailers.
          (3)      A brewery may import or purchase, upon terms and conditions the department may require,
  necessary flavors and other nonbeverage ingredients containing alcohol for blending or manufacturing
  purposes.
          (4)      An additional license fee may not be imposed on a brewery providing its own products on its
  licensed premises for consumption on the premises.
          (5)      This section does not prohibit a licensed brewer from shipping and selling beer directly to a
  wholesaler in this state under the provisions of 16-3-230."
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                                                               -3-                      Authorized Print Version – SB 312
Statutes affected: 
SB0312_1.pdf: 16-3-213, 16-3-214
SB0312_X.pdf: 16-3-213, 16-3-214
Enrolled: 16-3-213, 16-3-214
Introduced: 16-3-213, 16-3-214