HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 6584


 

 

 




As Reported by House Committee On:

Commerce & Labor

 

Title: An act relating to liquor licensees holding a caterer's endorsement.

 

Brief Description: Modifying liquor licensing provisions.

 

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Commerce & Trade (originally sponsored by Senators Hewitt, McAuliffe, Honeyford and Eide).


Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Commerce & Labor: 2/19/04, 2/23/04 [DP].

 

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

    Permits caterers licensed to sell alcoholic beverages to operate on the premises of wineries, under certain conditions.



 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR


Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Conway, Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; McMorris, Ranking Minority Member; Condotta, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Crouse, Holmquist, Kenney and McCoy.

 

Staff: Susan Kavanaugh (786-7106).

 

Background:

 

Restaurants that are licensed by the Liquor Control Board (Board) to sell either beer and wine only or hard liquor also may obtain a caterer's endorsement that permits them to sell these alcoholic beverages off the licensed premises at special event locations. Events must be either sponsored by a non-profit society, in which case the public may attend, or limited to members and their guests.

 

Under Washington's three-tier liquor control system, caterers, like other licensed retailers, are prohibited from operating on property owned by a manufacturer, importer or distributor of alcoholic beverages. This means caterers cannot operate on the premises of a winery, brewery or distillery.

 


 

 

Summary of Bill:

 

Caterers that have an endorsement permitting them to sell either beer and wine or hard liquor also may sell on the premises of a Washington winery under the following conditions:

 

    Agreements between the winery and the caterer are in writing, filed with the Board, and do not contain exclusivity clauses regarding alcohol to be served; and

    The event sponsors have separate contracts with the winery and the caterer, and pay them separately for their services.

 


 

 

Appropriation: None.

 

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

 

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

 

Testimony For: A winery can sell its own product under current law, but cannot sell a wider variety of alcoholic beverages. Wineries are a popular spot for weddings, and many people are interested in serving sparkling wine at weddings, but you cannot do that at a winery unless the sparkling wine is produced there.

 

Testimony Against: None.

 

Persons Testifying: Lorraine Lee, Liquor Control Board; Michael Transue, Washington Restaurant Association; and Jean Leonard, Washington Wine Institute.

 

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.