AN ACT Relating to equalizing differences between the liquor industries regarding certain sales of alcohol carrying a private label; and amending RCW 66.28.310, 66.24.145, and 66.24.630.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 66.28.310 and 2015 c 94 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits an industry member from providing retailers branded promotional items which are of nominal value, singly or in the aggregate. Such items include but are not limited to: Trays, lighters, blotters, postcards, pencils, coasters, menu cards, meal checks, napkins, clocks, mugs, glasses, bottles or can openers, corkscrews, matches, printed recipes, shirts, hats, visors, and other similar items. Branded promotional items:

(i) Must be used exclusively by the retailer or its employees in a manner consistent with its license;

(ii) Must bear imprinted advertising matter of the industry member only, except imprinted advertising matter of the industry member can include the logo of a professional sports team which the industry member is licensed to use;

(iii) May be provided by industry members only to retailers and their employees and may not be provided by or through retailers or their employees to retail customers; and

(iv) May not be targeted to or appeal principally to youth.

(b) An industry member is not obligated to provide any such branded promotional items, and a retailer may not require an industry member to provide such branded promotional items as a condition for selling any alcohol to the retailer.

(c) Any industry member or retailer or any other person asserting that the provision of branded promotional items as allowed in (a) of this subsection has resulted or is more likely than not to result in undue influence or an adverse impact on public health and safety, or is otherwise inconsistent with the criteria in (a) of this subsection may file a complaint with the board. Upon receipt of a complaint the board may conduct such investigation as it deems appropriate in the circumstances. If the investigation reveals the provision of branded promotional items has resulted in or is more likely than not to result in undue influence or has resulted or is more likely than not to result in an adverse impact on public health and safety or is otherwise inconsistent with (a) of this subsection the board may issue an administrative violation notice to the industry member, to the retailer, or both. The recipient of the administrative violation notice may request a hearing under chapter 34.05 RCW.

(2) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits:

(a) An industry member from providing to a special occasion licensee and a special occasion licensee from receiving services 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) Pouring or dispensing of spirits by a licensed domestic distiller or the accredited representative of a distiller, manufacturer, importer, or distributor of spirituous liquor licensed under RCW 66.24.310; or

(b) Special occasion licensees from paying for beer, wine, or spirits immediately following the end of the special occasion event; or

(c) Wineries, breweries, or distilleries that are participating in a special occasion event from paying reasonable booth fees to the special occasion licensee.

(3) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits industry members from performing, and retailers from accepting the service of building, rotating, and restocking displays and stockroom inventories; rotating and rearranging can and bottle displays of their own products; providing point of sale material and brand signs; pricing case goods of their own brands; and performing such similar business services consistent with board rules, or personal services as described in subsection (5) of this section.

(4) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits:

(a) Industry members 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 from listing on their internet web sites information related to industry members whose products those retailers sell or promote, including direct links to the industry members' web sites; or

(c) Industry members and retailers from producing, jointly or together with regional, state, or local industry associations, brochures and materials promoting tourism in Washington state which contain information regarding retail licensees, industry members, and their products.

(5) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits the performance of personal services offered from time to time by a domestic winery or certificate of approval holder to retailers when the personal services are (a) conducted at a licensed premises, and (b) intended to inform, educate, or enhance customers' knowledge or experience of the manufacturer's products. The performance of personal services may include participation and pouring, bottle signing events, and other similar informational or educational activities at the premises of a retailer holding a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license, a wine and/or beer restaurant license, a specialty wine shop license, a special occasion license, a grocery store license with a tasting endorsement, or a private club license. A domestic winery or certificate of approval holder is not obligated to perform any such personal services, and a retail licensee may not require a domestic winery or certificate of approval holder to conduct any personal service as a condition for selling any alcohol to the retail licensee, or as a condition for including any product of the domestic winery or certificate of approval holder in any tasting conducted by the licensee. Except as provided in RCW 66.28.150, the cost of sampling may not be borne, directly or indirectly, by any domestic winery or certificate of approval holder or any distributor.

(6) Nothing in ((this section)) RCW 66.28.305 prohibits wineries, breweries, microbreweries, craft distilleries, distilleries, certificate of approval holders, ((and)) or retail licensees from identifying the producers on private labels ((authorized under RCW 66.24.400, 66.24.425, 66.24.450, 66.24.360, and 66.24.371)).

(((6))) (7) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits an industry member from entering into an arrangement with any holder of a sports entertainment facility license or an affiliated business for brand advertising at the licensed facility or promoting events held at the sports entertainment facility as authorized under RCW 66.24.570.

(((7))) (8) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits the performance of personal services offered from time to time by a domestic brewery, microbrewery, or beer certificate of approval holder to grocery store licensees with a tasting endorsement when the personal services are (a) conducted at a licensed premises in conjunction with a tasting event, and (b) intended to inform, educate, or enhance customers' knowledge or experience of the manufacturer's products. The performance of personal services may include participation and pouring, bottle signing events, and other similar informational or educational activities. A domestic brewery, microbrewery, or beer certificate of approval holder is not obligated to perform any such personal services, and a grocery store licensee may not require the performance of any personal service as a condition for including any product in any tasting conducted by the licensee.

(((8))) (9) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits an arrangement between a domestic winery and a restaurant licensed under RCW 66.24.320 or 66.24.400 to waive a corkage fee.

(((9))) (10) Nothing in this section prohibits professional sports teams who hold a retail liquor license or their agents from accepting bona fide liquor advertising from manufacturers, importers, distributors, or their agents for use in the sporting arena. Professional sports teams who hold a retail liquor license or their agents may license the manufacturer, importer, distributor, or their agents to use the name and trademarks of the professional sports team in their advertising and promotions, under the following conditions:

(a) Such advertising must be paid for by said manufacturer, importer, distributor, or their agent at the published advertising rate or at a reasonable fair market value.

(b) Such advertising may carry with it no express or implied offer on the part of the manufacturer, importer, distributor, or their agent, or promise on the part of the retail licensee whose operation is directly or indirectly part of the sporting arena, to stock or list any particular brand of liquor to the total or partial exclusion of any other brand.

(((10))) (11) Nothing in RCW 66.28.305 prohibits a licensed domestic brewery or microbrewery from providing branded promotional items which are of nominal value, singly or in the aggregate, to a nonprofit charitable corporation or association exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code as it existed on July 24, 2015, for use consistent with the purpose or purposes entitling it to such exemption.

Sec. 2.  RCW 66.24.145 and 2015 c 194 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) Any craft distillery may sell spirits of its own production for consumption off the premises.

(b) A craft distillery selling spirits under this subsection must comply with the applicable laws and rules relating to retailers.

(2) Any craft distillery may contract distilled spirits for, and sell contract distilled spirits to, holders of distillers' or manufacturers' licenses, including licenses issued under RCW 66.24.520, or for export.

(3) Any craft distillery licensed under this section may provide, free or for a charge, one-half ounce or less samples of spirits of its own production to persons on the premises of the distillery. The maximum total per person per day is two ounces. Every person who participates in any manner in the service of samples must obtain a class 12 alcohol server permit. Spirits samples may be adulterated with nonalcoholic mixers, water, and/or ice.

(4)(a) A distillery or craft distillery licensee may apply to the board for an endorsement to sell spirits of its own production at retail for off-premises consumption at a qualifying farmers market. The annual fee for this endorsement is seventy-five dollars.

(b) For each month during which a distillery or craft distillery will sell spirits at a qualifying farmers market, the distillery or craft distillery must provide the board or its designee a list of the dates, times, and locations at which bottled spirits may be offered for sale. This list must be received by the board before the spirits may be offered for sale at a qualifying farmers market.

(c) Each approved location in a qualifying farmers market is deemed to be part of the distillery or craft distillery license for the purpose of this title. The approved locations under an endorsement granted under this subsection do not include tasting or sampling privileges. The distillery or craft distillery may not store spirits at a farmers market beyond the hours that the bottled spirits are offered for sale. The distillery or craft distillery may not act as a distributor from a farmers market location.

(d) Before a distillery or craft distillery may sell bottled spirits at a qualifying farmers market, the farmers market must apply to the board for authorization for any distillery or craft distillery with an endorsement approved under this subsection to sell bottled spirits at retail at the farmers market. This application must include, at a minimum: (i) A map of the farmers market showing all booths, stalls, or other designated locations at which an approved distillery or craft distillery may sell bottled spirits; and (ii) the name and contact information for the on-site market managers who may be contacted by the board or its designee to verify the locations at which bottled spirits may be sold. Before authorizing a qualifying farmers market to allow an approved distillery or craft distillery to sell bottled spirits at retail at its farmers market location, the board must notify the persons or entities of such application for authorization pursuant to RCW 66.24.010 (8) and (9). An authorization granted under this subsection (4)(d) may be withdrawn by the board for any violation of this title or any rules adopted under this title.

(e) For the purposes of this subsection (4), "qualifying farmers market" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 66.24.170.

(5) The board must adopt rules to implement the alcohol server permit requirement and may adopt additional rules to implement this section.

(6) Distilling is an agricultural practice.

Sec. 3.  RCW 66.24.630 and 2015 c 186 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) There is a spirits retail license to: Sell spirits in original containers to consumers for consumption off the licensed premises and to permit holders; sell spirits in original containers to retailers licensed to sell spirits for consumption on the premises, for resale at their licensed premises according to the terms of their licenses, although no single sale may exceed twenty-four liters, unless the sale is by a licensee that was a contract liquor store manager of a contract liquor store at the location of its spirits retail licensed premises from which it makes such sales; and export spirits.

(2) For the purposes of this title, a spirits retail license is a retail license, and a sale by a spirits retailer is a retail sale only if not for resale. Nothing in this title authorizes sales by on-sale licensees to other retail licensees. The board must establish by rule an obligation of on-sale spirits retailers to:

(a) Maintain a schedule by stock-keeping unit of all their purchases of spirits from spirits retail licensees, indicating the identity of the seller and the quantities purchased; and

(b) Provide, not more frequently than quarterly, a report for each scheduled item containing the identity of the purchasing on-premises licensee and the quantities of that scheduled item purchased since any preceding report to:

(i) A distributor authorized by the distiller to distribute a scheduled item in the on-sale licensee's geographic area; or

(ii) A distiller acting as distributor of the scheduled item in the area.

(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in (c) of this subsection, the board may issue spirits retail licenses only for premises comprising at least ten thousand square feet of fully enclosed retail space within a single structure, including storerooms and other interior auxiliary areas but excluding covered or fenced exterior areas, whether or not attached to the structure, and only to applicants that the board determines will maintain systems for inventory management, employee training, employee supervision, and physical security of the product substantially as effective as those of stores currently operated by the board with respect to preventing sales to or pilferage by underage or inebriated persons.

(b) License issuances and renewals are subject to RCW 66.24.010 and the regulations promulgated thereunder, including without limitation rights of cities, towns, county legislative authorities, the public, churches, schools, and public institutions to object to or prevent issuance of local liquor licenses. However, existing grocery premises licensed to sell beer and/or wine are deemed to be premises "now licensed" under RCW 66.24.010(9)(a) for the purpose of processing applications for spirits retail licenses.

(c) The board may not deny a spirits retail license to an otherwise qualified contract liquor store at its contract location or to the holder of former state liquor store operating rights sold at auction under RCW 66.24.620 on the grounds of location, nature, or size of the premises to be licensed. The board may not deny a spirits retail license to applicants that are not contract liquor stores or operating rights holders on the grounds of the size of the premises to be licensed, if such applicant is otherwise qualified and the board determines that:

(i) There is no spirits retail license holder in the trade area that the applicant proposes to serve;

(ii) The applicant meets, or upon licensure will meet, the operational requirements established by the board by rule; and

(iii) The licensee has not committed more than one public safety violation within the three years preceding application.

(d) A retailer authorized to sell spirits for consumption on or off the licensed premises may accept delivery of spirits at its licensed premises, at another licensed premises as designated by the retailer, or at one or more warehouse facilities registered with the board, which facilities may also warehouse and distribute nonliquor items, and from which the retailer may deliver to its own licensed premises and, pursuant to sales permitted under subsection (1) of this section:

(i) To other retailer premises licensed to sell spirits for consumption on the licensed premises;

(ii) To other registered facilities; or

(iii) To lawful purchasers outside the state. The facilities may be registered and utilized by associations, cooperatives, or comparable groups of retailers, including at least one retailer licensed to sell spirits.

(e) For purposes of negotiating volume discounts, a group of individual retailers authorized to sell spirits for consumption off the licensed premises may accept delivery of spirits at their individual licensed premises or at any one of the individual licensee's premises, or at a warehouse facility registered with the board.

(4)(a) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 66.24.632, or in (b) of this subsection, each spirits retail licensee must pay to the board, for deposit into the liquor revolving fund, a license issuance fee equivalent to seventeen percent of all spirits sales revenues under the license, exclusive of taxes collected by the licensee and of sales of items on which a license fee payable under this section has otherwise been incurred. The board must establish rules setting forth the timing of such payments and reporting of sales dollar volume by the licensee, with payments required quarterly in arrears. The first payment is due October 1, 2012.

(b) This subsection (4) does not apply to craft distilleries.

(5) In addition to the payment required under subsection (4) of this section, each licensee must pay an annual license renewal fee of one hundred sixty-six dollars. The board must periodically review and adjust the renewal fee as may be required to maintain it as comparable to annual license renewal fees for licenses to sell beer and wine not for consumption on the licensed premises. If required by law at the time, any increase of the annual renewal fee becomes effective only upon ratification by the legislature.

(6) As a condition to receiving and renewing a spirits retail license the licensee must provide training as prescribed by the board by rule for individuals who sell spirits or who manage others who sell spirits regarding compliance with laws and regulations regarding sale of spirits, including without limitation the prohibitions against sale of spirits to individuals who are underage or visibly intoxicated. The training must be provided before the individual first engages in the sale of spirits and must be renewed at least every five years. The licensee must maintain records documenting the nature and frequency of the training provided. An employee training program is presumptively sufficient if it incorporates a "responsible vendor program" promulgated by the board.

(7) The maximum penalties prescribed by the board in WAC 314-29-020 through 314-29-040 relating to fines and suspensions are doubled for violations relating to the sale of spirits by spirits retail licensees.

(8)(a) The board must promulgate regulations concerning the adoption and administration of a compliance training program for spirits retail licensees, to be known as a "responsible vendor program," to reduce underage drinking, encourage licensees to adopt specific best practices to prevent sales to minors, and provide licensees with an incentive to give their employees ongoing training in responsible alcohol sales and service.

(b) Licensees who join the responsible vendor program under this section and maintain all of the program's requirements are not subject to the doubling of penalties provided in this section for a single violation in any period of twelve calendar months.

(c) The responsible vendor program must be free, voluntary, and self-monitoring.

(d) To participate in the responsible vendor program, licensees must submit an application form to the board. If the application establishes that the licensee meets the qualifications to join the program, the board must send the licensee a membership certificate.

(e) A licensee participating in the responsible vendor program must at a minimum:

(i) Provide ongoing training to employees;

(ii) Accept only certain forms of identification for alcohol sales;

(iii) Adopt policies on alcohol sales and checking identification;

(iv) Post specific signs in the business; and

(v) Keep records verifying compliance with the program's requirements.

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