HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1278

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to requiring beer manufacturers to use the term lager on the outside label of contents of packages containing malt liquor.

Brief Description:  Concerning the labeling of malt liquor packages.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by  Representatives K. Schmidt, Hatfield, Mitchell, Pennington, Scott, Mielke, Cody, Honeyford and Delvin).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Commerce & Labor:  2/6/97, 2/20/97 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/11/97, 96‑0.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives McMorris, Chairman; Honeyford, Vice Chairman; Conway, Ranking Minority Member; Wood, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boldt; Clements; Cole and Hatfield.

Staff:  Pam Madson (786-7166).

Background:  Labels that appear on bottled malt liquor products must have federal approval and must meet certain state requirements.  State law requires the label to identify the contents, the name of the manufacturer, and the place of manufacture.  Bottles containing malt liquor beverages must use the term beer, ale, malt liquor, stout, or porter. 

The term Amalt beverage@ or Amalt liquor@ includes beer, ale, and lager beer.  There is no authority to use the term Alager@ for labeling purposes or in connection with other malt beverages such as ales.

Summary of Bill:  The term Alager@ may appear on labels of malt liquor products.  The term includes all currently identified malt beverages such as beer, ale, lager beer, stout, and porter.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Pyramid Brewery produced a winter Christmas blend ALager@ which is a malt liquor product.  The term ALager@ is not a term authorized for use with malt liquor products.  This bill authorizes the use of the term ALager@ as a stand-alone labeling term.

Testimony Against:  None

Testified:  T. K. Bentler