Bill Summary for Bill Number SB09-254

Date: 04/01/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB09-254

SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS, LABOR AND TECHNOLOGY

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-254 to the Committee	PASS

01:43 PM -- Senate Bill 09-254

Senator Bacon presented Senate Bill 09-254. The bill authorizes licensed brew pubs and licensed manufacturers of beer products (malt liquor and fermented malt beverages) to obtain approval from the Department of Revenue to use a common licensed premises to manufacture their product. As the state licensing authority, the executive director of the Department of Revenue would adopt rules for the implementation, standardization, and enforcement of alternating proprietor licensed premises.

The bill authorizes the wholesale sale of malt liquors and fermented malt beverages from an alternating proprietor licensed premises, but the retail sale of such alcohol beverages is prohibited from the premises. The state licensing authority may establish fees for applications for alternating use of premises authority. Licensees would report separately on the quantities of malt liquors and fermented malt beverages manufactured or inventoried in, or transferred from, an alternating proprietor licensed premises.

House Bill 08-1359, adopted in 2008, authorized certain licensed wineries to use common licensed premises for the production of wine in Colorado. The bill defined an alternating proprietor licensed premises as it relates to the manufacture and storage of wine. Senate Bill 09-254 expands the use of common licensed premises to include the production of beer products.

Senator Bacon explained the bill and stated that it will create jobs and give craft brewers the same opportunities wine producers were given with the adoption of House Bill 08-1359.

The following individuals testified regarding the bill:

01:45 PM -- J.B. Shireman, representing the Colorado Craft Brewers Guild and New Belgium Brewing, testified in support of the bill. He stated that the bill is a federal excise tax break for brewers and described how the bill will help brewers and brewpubs. Mr. Shireman responded to questions from Senator Heath regarding the bill's benefits for brewers. He responded to questions from Senator Scheffel concerning why brewers had not been included in the provisions of House Bill 08-1359.
01:51 PM -- Jeanne McEvoy, representing the Colorado Licensed Beverage Association, testified in support of the bill. She stated that the bill will benefit the consumer by containing brewing costs.


BILL:	SB09-254
TIME:	01:52:42 PM
MOVED:	Tochtrop
MOTION:	Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-254 to the Committee of the Whole with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on a 5-0 roll call vote, with two members excused.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Foster	Yes
	Harvey	Excused
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Tochtrop	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Veiga	Yes

Final YES: 5 NO: 0 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS