Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the sale of alcohol by private individuals.

Highlights:

• Specifies that wholesale and retail sales of liquor should no longer be by the state, but rather by private individuals licensed and regulated by the state (Sec. 11).
• Authorizes the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to issue “wine and spirits retail licenses” and “wine and spirit wholesale licenses” on a first-come, first-served basis, effective 12 months after the enactment of this bill (Sec. 11).
• Requires the board to issue 1,200 wine and spirit retail licenses allocated by county in order to divest state retail operations, and 600 additional licenses if deemed necessary for consumer convenience (Sec. 11).
• Requires the board to determine the necessity of closing state stores, terminating applicable lease agreements, redistributing or furloughing store personnel, disposing of remaining inventory, and storing property as necessary (Sec. 11).
• Establishes services for displaced state store employees, including, but not limited to the following services (Sec. 11):
• Counseling and other general assistance; and
• Opportunities to gain a different civil service position.
• Specifies that the fee for a wine and spirits wholesale license will be dependent on the type and price of the alcohol sold (Sec. 11).
• Establishes the following fees for wine and spirit retail licenses (Sec. 11):
• For a class 1 or 2 county, $165,000 for the sale of wine, $232,500 for the sale of spirits, or a fee equal to the sum of the fees for the sale of both;
• For a class 2A or 3 county, $187,500 for the sale of wine, $262,500 for the sale of spirits, or a fee equal to the sum of the fees for the sale of both;
• For a class 4 or 5 county, $142,500 for the sale of wine, $202,500 for the sale of spirits, or a fee equal to the sum of the fees for the sale of both;
• For a class 6 or 7 county, $120,000 for the sale of wine, $172,500 for the sale of spirits, or a fee equal to the sum of the fees for the sale of both; and
• For a class 8 county, the fee will be $97,500 for the sale of wine, $142,500 for the sale of spirits, or a fee equal to the sum of the fees for the sale of both.
• Authorizes a grocery store with a retail liquor license to store and sell wine if certain conditions are met, which include, but are not limited to, the following (Secs. 13 & 18):
• The grocery store displays educational information about the responsible consumption of alcohol wherever wine is displayed;
• The grocery store sells no more than 12 bottles of wine in a single transaction; and
• The grocery store sells wine at a point of sale manned by a sales clerk.

Full Bill Text