Signed by Governor Bill Haslam

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that authorizes the sale of wine in grocery stores.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to issue licenses to sell wine at a “retail food store” beginning July 1, 2016 to an applicant seeking a license in a county or municipality that meets the following requirements (Sec. 1):
• The locality passes a referendum allowing the sale of wine at retail food stores; and
• The locality has full-time law enforcement through a police or sheriff’s department.

• Defines a “retail food store” as an establishment that is open to the public and derives at least 20 percent of its sales from the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption and has a retail space of at least 1,200 square feet (Sec. 1).

• Requires an individual applying for a retail food store wine license to meet the following qualifications (Sec. 1):
• Be at least 21 years old;
• Has never been convicted of a felony; and
• Does not have any interest, direct or indirect, in a business licensed to engage in the sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages. 

• Requires a wine at retail food store license applicant to pay the Alcoholic Beverage Commission the following fees (Sec. 1):
• A nonrefundable application fee of $400; and 
• An annual license fee of $1,250.

• Prohibits a retail food store from selling wine during the following times (Sec. 1):
• Between the hours of 11:00 P.M. on Saturday and 8:00 A.M. on Monday of each week;
• Between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M. on every other day;
• on Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Labor Day, New Year’s Day, and July 4th.

• Authorizes a retail food store licensed to sell wine to also sell retail items related to or incidental to the use, consumption, dispensing, or storage of alcoholic beverages, along with merchandise and supplies related to special events or parties, including, but not the limited to, the following items (Sec. 10):
• Beverage coolers, ice chests, and ice in any form;
• Combined packages containing multiple alcoholic beverages;
• Beer and wine-making kits; and
• Concentrates and ingredients used in the preparation of mixed alcoholic beverages.

• Requires the licensee to maintain at least 20 percent of his or her sales from the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption in order to renew his or her retail food store wine license (Sec. 1). 

• Prohibits a retail food store from being issued a license to sell wine prior to July 1, 2017, if the establishment of the applicant seeking the license is within 500 feet of an establishment holding an “alcoholic spirituous beverages license” (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a retail food store from being issued a license to sell wine if the establishment of the applicant seeking a license is located within a shopping center or other development that has restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages (Sec. 1).

• Requires all deliveries of wine to a retail food store to be made by a licensed wholesaler to a licensed store manager and payment must be made upon delivery and not on credit (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a retail food store licensed to sell wine from storing any wine off the licensed premises and keeping unsealed bottles or containers of wine on the premises (Sec. 1).

• Establishes a “responsible vendor training program” for retail food store wine licensees, which licensees are required to participate in (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the sale of wine in grocery stores.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to issue licenses to sell wine at a “retail food store” beginning July 1, 2016 to an applicant seeking a license in a county or municipality that meets the following requirements (Sec. 1):
• The locality passes a referendum allowing the sale of wine at retail food stores; and
• The locality has full-time law enforcement through a police or sheriff’s department.

• Defines a “retail food store” as an establishment that is open to the public and derives at least 20 percent of its sales from the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption and has a retail space of at least 1,200 square feet (Sec. 1).

• Requires an individual applying for a retail food store wine license to meet the following qualifications (Sec. 1):
• Be at least 21 years old;
• Has never been convicted of a felony; and
• Does not have any interest, direct or indirect, in a business licensed to engage in the sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages. 

• Requires a wine at retail food store license applicant to pay the Alcoholic Beverage Commission the following fees (Sec. 1):
• A nonrefundable application fee of $400; and 
• An annual license fee of $1,250.

• Prohibits a retail food store from selling wine during the following times (Sec. 1):
• Between the hours of 11:00 P.M. on Saturday and 8:00 A.M. on Monday of each week;
• Between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M. on every other day;
• on Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Labor Day, New Year’s Day, and July 4th.

• Authorizes a retail food store licensed to sell wine to also sell retail items related to or incidental to the use, consumption, dispensing, or storage of alcoholic beverages, along with merchandise and supplies related to special events or parties, including, but not the limited to, the following items (Sec. 10):
• Beverage coolers, ice chests, and ice in any form;
• Combined packages containing multiple alcoholic beverages;
• Beer and wine-making kits; and
• Concentrates and ingredients used in the preparation of mixed alcoholic beverages.

• Requires the licensee to maintain at least 20 percent of his or her sales from the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption in order to renew his or her retail food store wine license (Sec. 1). 

• Prohibits a retail food store from being issued a license to sell wine prior to July 1, 2017, if the establishment of the applicant seeking the license is within 500 feet of an establishment holding an “alcoholic spirituous beverages license” (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a retail food store from being issued a license to sell wine if the establishment of the applicant seeking a license is located within a shopping center or other development that has restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages (Sec. 1).

• Requires all deliveries of wine to a retail food store to be made by a licensed wholesaler to a licensed store manager and payment must be made upon delivery and not on credit (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a retail food store licensed to sell wine from storing any wine off the licensed premises and keeping unsealed bottles or containers of wine on the premises (Sec. 1).

• Establishes a “responsible vendor training program” for retail food store wine licensees, which licensees are required to participate in (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the sale of wine in grocery stores.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to issue licenses to sell wine at a “retail food store” to an applicant seeking a license in a county or municipality that meets the following requirements (Sec. 1):
• The locality passes a referendum allowing the sale of wine at retail food stores; and
• The locality has full-time law enforcement through a police or sheriff’s department.

• Defines “retail food store” as an establishment where food and food products, alone or in combination with grocery items typically found in grocery or convenience stores, are offered to the consumer and intended primarily for off-premises consumption (Sec. 1).

• Requires an individual applying for a retail food store wine license to meet the following qualifications (Sec. 1):
• Be at least 21 years old; and
• Has never been convicted of a felony.

• Requires a wine at retail food store license applicant to pay the Alcoholic Beverage Commission the following fees (Sec. 1):
• A nonrefundable application fee of $400; and 
• An annual license fee of $1,100.

• Prohibits a retail food store from selling wine during the following times (Sec. 1):
• Between the hours of 3:00 A.M. and 8:00 A.M. on weekdays; and
• Between the hours of 3:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. on Sundays.

• Specifies that a wine at retail food store license holder is not limited to operating 1 licensed retail food store business in the state (Sec. 1). 

• Prohibits a retail food store from selling wine with an alcohol content level above 18 percent (Sec. 1).

• Requires each jurisdiction to hold and pass a referendum authorizing the sale of wine in retail food stores for the provisions of this bill to take effect (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a municipality or county from limiting the number of wine at retail food store licenses issued within their jurisdiction (Sec. 1). 

• Establishes a “responsible vendor training program” for a wine at retail food store license holder and requires him or her to pay an annual fee to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission based on the number of employed clerks (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text