HB474 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Neil RaffertyRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Entertainment districts, allow wineries, distilleries, and breweries to sell alcohol for consumption within districts, revise qualifications for certain municipalities to establish, Sec. 28-3A-17.1 am'd.

Summary

The bill broadens entertainment districts to let tastings-focused alcohol producers sell for consumption within the district and adjusts district eligibility and size rules for certain municipalities.

What This Bill Does

It authorizes wineries, distilleries, and breweries that conduct tastings or samplings to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption within an entertainment district. It requires each district to have at least four licensees, including a manufacturer license that conducts tastings or samplings, and sets district size limits (up to 0.5 mile by 0.5 mile). It expands who can establish districts to Class 1-5 municipalities and those with an incorporated arts council, main street program, or downtown development entity, and allows the ABC Board to designate districts for both on-premises retailers and manufacturer tastings within the district. It also outlines how many districts each type of municipality can have (up to two for certain small or special municipalities, up to five for others, all within the size limits).

Who It Affects

• Municipalities (Class 1-5 and those with an incorporated arts council, main street program, or downtown development entity) by expanding who may create entertainment districts and the minimum licensee mix and area rules they must follow.
• Wineries, distilleries, and breweries that conduct tastings or samplings, and other licensees within the districts, by enabling sale of beverages for consumption anywhere within the district.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes manufacturer licensees that conduct tastings or samplings to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption within an entertainment district.
• Requires each entertainment district to have not fewer than four licensees, including a manufacturer license that conducts tastings or samplings.
• Sets district size limits at not more than one-half mile by one-half mile (irregular shapes allowed).
• Adds Class 1-5 municipalities and municipalities with an incorporated arts council, main street program, or downtown development entity as eligible for districts.
• Allows the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to designate entertainment districts for on-premises retail licenses and for manufacturer licensees that conduct tastings or samplings on the licensed premises, within the district.
• Specifies the number of districts allowed by municipality type (e.g., up to two for certain Class 5 or Act 2013-382 municipalities; up to five for Class 1, 2, 3, 4, or Gulf-adjacent municipalities; with specific rules for Class 8 municipalities in counties with a Class 3 municipality).
• Clarifies that on-premises consumption within an entertainment district may occur anywhere within the district boundaries.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Entertainment Districts