SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 1149

As Reported by Senate Committee On:

Commerce & Labor, April 1, 2013

Title: An act relating to increasing the volume of spirits that may be sold per day to a customer of a craft distillery.

Brief Description: Increasing the volume of spirits that may be sold per day to a customer of a craft distillery.

Sponsors: Representatives Hurst, Ryu, Hunt and Santos.

Brief History: Passed House: 3/04/13, 98-0.

Committee Activity: Commerce & Labor: 3/29/13, 4/01/13 [DP].

Majority Report: Do pass.

Signed by Senators Holmquist Newbry, Chair; Braun, Vice Chair; Conway, Ranking Member; Hasegawa, Hewitt, Keiser and King.

Staff: Edith Rice (786-7444)

Background: Individuals seeking to distill spirits in Washington must obtain a license from the Liquor Control Board. The annual fee for a distillery license is $2,000 and for a craft distillery the fee is $100. To qualify as a craft distillery, the distiller must produce no more than 60,000 gallons of spirits with at least half of the raw materials used in the production grown in Washington. Craft distilleries can sell spirits of their own production for consumption off the premises in amounts up to two liters per person per day.

Spirits means any beverage that contains alcohol obtained by distillation, except flavored malt beverages, but including wines exceeding 24 percent of alcohol by volume.

Summary of Bill: A craft distillery is authorized to sell spirits of its own production for consumption off the premises in an amount up to three liters per person per day.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: None.

Persons Testifying: No one.