SB115 Alabama 2015 Session

Under existing law, liquor wholesale licensees may sell liquor at wholesale to the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board or as authorized by the board, other than to a retail licensee of the board. Under existing law, state liquor stores operated by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and certain licensed private retail stores may sell liquor at retail. Under existing law, retail licensees of the board must purchase liquor from the board for resale

This bill would require the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to phase out retail sale of alcoholic beverages by the board prior to October 1, 2016 but continue all other functions prescribed by law; require the board to obtain the best available price for fixed assets, equipment, and property; and require the Department of Economic and Community Affairs to provide certain technical assistance

This bill would create a special fund in which proceeds of the sale of fixed assets, equipment, and property and the bid price payments would be placed and would provide moneys in the fund would be used to pay phase-out costs, including employee benefits

This bill would establish an application, review, appeal and investigation process for licensees; provide that licenses would be issued to the highest competitive bidder and provide for the bidding and bonding process; provide a purchase option, with financing available, to eligible retail licensees; provide penalties for inducing a person from bidding for a retail license; and grant a displaced employee bid preference of five percent

This bill would provide for the sale, transfer, and surrender of licenses; provide that persons possessing authority to sell liquor for off-premises consumption on the date of introduction of this bill could continue to operate according to the license; and prohibit all other persons from selling liquor for off-premises consumption

This bill would provide for the markup on all alcohol sold by this board and provide for the distribution of proceeds; provide that liquor sold by the board would be subject to existing taxes and provide for the redistribution of certain tax proceeds; reallocate a portion of the proceeds of existing taxes on table wine; and provide for the distribution of local sales taxes on the sale of liquor by retail licensees

This bill would require the board to implement a hiring freeze of certain employees; and grant certain benefits to displaced employees, including additional consideration for staffing retail operations during the phase-out

This bill would require revocation or suspension of licences issued by the board upon proof of selling alcohol to a minor

This bill would create the Products Selection Review Committee and would require the committee to review product selection decisions of the board and report irregularities and violations to the Attorney General and the State Ethics Commission

This bill would provide for the distribution of certain payments delayed for inventory purposes; require the board to convert to an inventory bailment system; and permit the board to enter contracts for certain warehousing functions

To amend Sections 28-1-4, 28-2-22, 28-3-43, 28-3-53.1, 28-3-53.2, 28-3-202, 28-3-205, 28-3-207, 28-3-241, 28-3A-11, 28-3A-12, 28-3A-19, 28-3A-20, 28-3A-21, 28-3A-22, 28-3A-24, 28-3A-26, and 28-7-16 of the Code of Alabama 1975; regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, requiring the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to phase out operations concerning the retail sale of alcoholic beverages and granting these privileges to licensees of the board; granting certain powers to the board to facilitate the phase-out process, including the establishment of a fund from which certain moneys may be expended for phase-out costs; establishing application requirements for retail licenses and identifying licensee qualifications and disqualifications; establishing notice and bidding procedures and bonding requirements; provide a purchase option, with financing available, to eligible retail licensees; provide penalties for inducing a person from bidding for a retail license; providing a bid preference for displaced employees; providing for annual retail license fees and annual renewal of retail licenses; providing that each retail license shall expire in the year 2016 and each tenth year thereafter; requiring approval for the sale, assignment, or transfer of retail licenses and for the surrender of retail licenses; providing that certain existing retail licensees of the board may continue to sell liquor for off-premises consumption and prohibiting the sale or transfer of these licenses; providing for the markup on alcohol sales and the distribution of proceeds; providing for the reallocation of the proceeds of the tax on table wine; providing certain consideration, treatment, and benefits for displaced employees; altering certain license fees and providing for license fees for licensees; specifying remaining functions of the board; creating the Products Selection Review Committee and prescribing its duties; requiring the board to revoke or suspend license upon certain proof of selling to a minor; requiring the board to convert to an inventory bailment system; providing for the distribution of certain payment delayed for inventory purposes; permitting the board to enter contracts for warehousing functions; and repealing Sections 28-3-74, and 28-3-280 through 28-3-286 of the Code of Alabama 1975.