HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1409
As Passed House:
February 25, 2005
Title: An act relating to updating references to contract liquor stores.
Brief Description: Revising provisions relating to contract liquor stores.
Sponsors: By Representatives Condotta, Wood and Conway; by request of Liquor Control Board.
Brief History:
Commerce & Labor: 2/2/05, 2/3/05 [DP].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 2/25/05, 95-0.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR
Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 7 members: Representatives Conway, Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Condotta, Ranking Minority Member; Sump, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Crouse, Hudgins and McCoy.
Staff: Rebekah Ward (786-7106).
Background:
The Liquor Control Board (Board) currently owns and operates 157 state liquor stores.
Additionally, the Board contracts with, and provides oversight of, individual businesses for
the sale of spirits in other stores. There are 154 "agency" or "contract liquor" stores. The
managers of these stores are "vendors."
Prior to 1994, contract liquor store managers were considered state employees, and were
referred to in state law as "vendors" and their stores as "agencies." A 1994 Internal Revenue
Service ruling changed their status to independent contractors. As a result, the Board, in
agreement with the contract managers, changed their designation to "contract liquor store
managers" and their stores to "contract liquor stores."
Summary of Bill:
The terms "vendors" and "agency store managers" are changed to reflect the contractual
relationship between the Board and the contract liquor stores. These changes make the terms
consistent with the 1994 Internal Revenue Service ruling that changed the status of contract
liquor store employees and managers to independent contractors.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This bill will update the statutory references to contract liquor stores and contract liquor store managers to reflect the contractual relationship between the contract liquor stores and the Liquor Control Board that has occurred; because of the 1994 ruling by the Internal Revenue Service.
Testimony Against: None.
Persons Testifying: Rick Garza, Washington State Liquor Control Board.