BILL REQ. #:  S-1312.3 

Read first time 02/01/2007.   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development.

     AN ACT Relating to allowing certain activities between manufacturers, importers, or distributors and retail sellers of wine; and reenacting and amending RCW 66.28.010.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 66.28.010 and 2006 c 330 s 28, 2006 c 92 s 1, and 2006 c 43 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) No manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative, or person financially interested, directly or indirectly, in such business; whether resident or nonresident, shall have any financial interest, direct or indirect, in any licensed retail business, unless the retail business is owned by a corporation in which a manufacturer or importer has no direct stock ownership and there are no interlocking officers and directors, the retail license is held by a corporation that is not owned directly or indirectly by a manufacturer or importer, the sales of liquor are incidental to the primary activity of operating the property as a hotel, alcoholic beverages produced by the manufacturer or importer or their subsidiaries are not sold at the licensed premises, and the board reviews the ownership and proposed method of operation of all involved entities and determines that there will not be an unacceptable level of control or undue influence over the operation or the retail licensee((; nor shall any)).
     (b) A manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative shall not own any of the property upon which such licensed persons conduct their business; nor shall any such licensed person, under any arrangement whatsoever, conduct his or her business upon property in which any manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative has any interest unless title to that property is owned by a corporation in which a manufacturer has no direct stock ownership and there are no interlocking officers or directors, the retail license is held by a corporation that is not owned directly or indirectly by the manufacturer, the sales of liquor are incidental to the primary activity of operating the property either as a hotel or as an amphitheater offering live musical and similar live entertainment activities to the public, alcoholic beverages produced by the manufacturer or any of its subsidiaries are not sold at the licensed premises, and the board reviews the ownership and proposed method of operation of all involved entities and determines that there will not be an unacceptable level of control or undue influence over the operation of the retail licensee.
     (c) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative shall advance moneys or moneys' worth to a licensed person under an arrangement, nor shall such licensed person receive, under an arrangement, an advance of moneys or moneys' worth. For purposes of this section, "money" or "money's worth" does not include the performance of personal services offered from time to time by a manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative or their employee, contractor, or agent, for or on behalf of a licensed retail business when the personal services are (i) conducted at a licensed premises, and (ii) intended to inform, educate, or enhance customers' knowledge or experience of the manufacturer's products. The performance of personal services may include bottle signings, winemaker dinners, tastings, and other similar informational or educational events. A manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative is not obligated to perform any such personal services, and a retail licensee may not require a manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative to conduct any personal service as a condition for selling any alcohol to the retail licensee.
     (d) "Person" as used in this section only shall not include those state or federally chartered banks, state or federally chartered savings and loan associations, state or federally chartered mutual savings banks, or institutional investors which are not controlled directly or indirectly by a manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative as long as the bank, savings and loan association, or institutional investor does not influence or attempt to influence the purchasing practices of the retailer with respect to alcoholic beverages. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative shall be eligible to receive or hold a retail license under this title, nor shall such manufacturer, importer, distributor, or authorized representative sell at retail any liquor as herein defined. A corporation granted an exemption under this subsection may use debt instruments issued in connection with financing construction or operations of its facilities.
     (((b))) (e) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a licensed domestic brewery or microbrewery from being licensed as a retailer pursuant to chapter 66.24 RCW for the purpose of selling beer or wine at retail on the brewery premises and nothing in this section shall prohibit a domestic winery from being licensed as a retailer pursuant to chapter 66.24 RCW for the purpose of selling beer or wine at retail on the winery premises. Such beer and wine so sold at retail shall be subject to the taxes imposed by RCW 66.24.290 and 66.24.210 and to reporting and bonding requirements as prescribed by regulations adopted by the board pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, and beer and wine that is not produced by the brewery or winery shall be purchased from a licensed beer or wine distributor.
     (((c))) (f) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a licensed distiller, domestic brewery, microbrewery, domestic winery, or a lessee of a licensed domestic brewer, microbrewery, or domestic winery, from being licensed as a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant pursuant to chapter 66.24 RCW for the purpose of selling liquor at a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant premises on the property on which the primary manufacturing facility of the licensed distiller, domestic brewer, microbrewery, or domestic winery is located or on contiguous property owned or leased by the licensed distiller, domestic brewer, microbrewery, or domestic winery as prescribed by rules adopted by the board pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW.
     (((d))) (g) Nothing in this section prohibits retail licensees with a caterer's endorsement issued under RCW 66.24.320 or 66.24.420 from operating on a domestic winery premises.
     (((e))) (h) Nothing in this section prohibits an organization qualifying under RCW 66.24.375 formed for the purpose of constructing and operating a facility to promote Washington wines from holding retail licenses on the facility property or leasing all or any portion of such facility property to a retail licensee on the facility property if the members of the board of directors or officers of the board for the organization include officers, directors, owners, or employees of a licensed domestic winery. Financing for the construction of the facility must include both public and private money.
     (((f))) (i) Nothing in this section prohibits a bona fide charitable nonprofit society or association registered as a 501(c)(3) under the internal revenue code and having an officer, director, owner, or employee of a licensed domestic winery or a wine certificate of approval holder on its board of directors from holding a special occasion license under RCW 66.24.380.
     (((g))) (j)(i) Nothing in this section prohibits domestic wineries and retailers licensed under chapter 66.24 RCW from ((jointly)) producing jointly or together with regional, state, or local wine industry associations, brochures and materials promoting tourism in Washington state which contain information regarding retail licensees, domestic wineries, and their products.
     (((h))) (ii) Nothing in this section prohibits: (A) Domestic wineries and certificate of approval holders licensed under this chapter from listing on their internet web sites information related to retailers who sell or promote their products, including direct links to the retailers' internet web sites; and (B) retailers licensed under this chapter from listing on their internet web sites information related to domestic wineries and certificate of approval holders whose products those retailers sell or promote, including direct links to the domestic wineries' and certificate of approval holders' web sites.
     (k) Nothing in this section prohibits domestic wineries and retail licensees from identifying the wineries on private labels authorized under RCW 66.24.400, 66.24.425, and 66.24.450.
     (((i))) (l) Until July 1, 2007, nothing in this section prohibits a nonprofit statewide organization of microbreweries formed for the purpose of promoting Washington's craft beer industry as a trade association registered as a 501(c) with the internal revenue service from holding a special occasion license to conduct up to six beer festivals.
     (2) Financial interest, direct or indirect, as used in this section, shall include any interest, whether by stock ownership, mortgage, lien, or through interlocking directors, or otherwise. Pursuant to rules promulgated by the board in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW manufacturers, distributors, and importers may perform, and retailers may accept the service of building, rotating and restocking case displays and stock room inventories; rotating and rearranging can and bottle displays of their own products; provide point of sale material and brand signs; price case goods of their own brands; and perform such similar normal business services as the board may by regulation prescribe.
     (3)(a) This section does not prohibit a manufacturer, importer, or distributor from providing services to a special occasion licensee for: (i) Installation of draft beer dispensing equipment or advertising, (ii) advertising, pouring, or dispensing of beer or wine at a beer or wine tasting exhibition or judging event, or (iii) a special occasion licensee from receiving any such services as may be provided by a manufacturer, importer, or distributor. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a retail licensee, or any person financially interested, directly or indirectly, in such a retail licensee from having a financial interest, direct or indirect, in a business which provides, for a compensation commensurate in value to the services provided, bottling, canning or other services to a manufacturer, so long as the retail licensee or person interested therein has no direct financial interest in or control of said manufacturer.
     (b) A person holding contractual rights to payment from selling a liquor distributor's business and transferring the license shall not be deemed to have a financial interest under this section if the person (i) lacks any ownership in or control of the distributor, (ii) is not employed by the distributor, and (iii) does not influence or attempt to influence liquor purchases by retail liquor licensees from the distributor.
     (c) The board shall adopt such rules as are deemed necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of subsection (3)(((a))) (c) and (j) of this section in accordance with the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.
     (4) A license issued under RCW 66.24.395 does not constitute a retail license for the purposes of this section.
     (5) A public house license issued under RCW 66.24.580 does not violate the provisions of this section as to a retailer having an interest directly or indirectly in a liquor-licensed manufacturer.