FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 6584

C 62 L 04

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Modifying liquor licensing provisions.

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

Senate Committee on Commerce & Trade

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Background: Under current law, generally, no manufacturer, importer or distributor of liquor, or other person financially interested in the business may have any financial interest in any licensed retail business.

Spirits, beer and wine restaurants and beer and/or wine restaurants can apply for a caterer's endorsement. This endorsement allows the establishment to remove the types of alcohol it has approval to sell on premises for services at events held by a nonprofit society or organization or private events held by invitation only.

Summary: A restaurant licensee with a caterer's endorsement may operate on the premises of a domestic winery. Licensees that hold a caterer's endorsement may use this endorsement on a domestic winery premises if (a) agreements between the winery and the licensee are in writing, contain no exclusivity clauses regarding the liquor to be served and are filed with the Liquor Control Board; and (b) the winery and licensee are separately contracted and compensated for their service by people sponsoring the event.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       48  0

House       94  1

Effective: June 10, 2004