HB 2266 Text

Committee Substitute House Bill 2266 History

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HOUSE COM SUB (1 LINE) COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
H. B. 2266
(By Delegates Doyle, Hatfield and Amores)

(Originating in the Committee of Finance)

[ March 24, 2005]

A BILL to amend and reenact §60-8-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to imposing a one hundred dollar per year fee for licenses allowing wine sampling events by wine retailers; and authorizing a special license to allow the sale and serving of wine by nonprofit charitable organizations and associations for certain purposes during one-day events.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §60-8-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 8. SALE OF WINES.
§60-8-3. Licenses; fees; general restrictions.
(a) Except as to farm wineries as defined by section five-a, article one of this chapter, no person may engage in business in the capacity of a distributor, retailer or private wine restaurant without first obtaining a license from the Commissioner, nor shall a person continue to engage in any such activity after his or her license has expired, been suspended or revoked. No person may be licensed simultaneously as a distributor and a retailer, as a distributor and a private wine restaurant, or as a retailer and a private wine restaurant.
(b) The Commissioner shall collect an annual fee for licenses issued under this article, as follows:
(1) Twenty-five hundred dollars per year for a distributor?s license and each separate warehouse or other facility from which a distributor sells, transfers or delivers wine shall be separately licensed and there shall be collected with respect to each such location the annual license fee of twenty-five hundred dollars as herein provided;
(2) One hundred fifty dollars per year for a retailer?s license;
(3) Fifty dollars per year for a wine tasting license;
(4) Fifty dollars for each sales representative of or employed by a licensed distributor;
(5) Two hundred fifty dollars per year for a private wine restaurant license, and each separate restaurant from which a licensee sells wine shall be separately licensed and there shall be collected with respect to each such location the annual license fee of two hundred fifty dollars as herein provided;
(6) Twenty-five dollars per year for a West Virginia wine retailer?s license, and each separate retail outlet from which a West Virginia wine retailer sells West Virginia wine shall be separately licensed and there shall be collected with respect to each such location the annual license fee of twenty-five dollars as herein provided. The holder of such a license may sell no wines except those produced by West Virginia farm wineries as defined by section five-a, article one of this chapter. Except for the amount of the license fee and the restriction to sales of West Virginia wines, a West Virginia wine retailer is subject to all other provisions of this article which are applicable to a retailer as defined in section two of this article;
(7) One hundred dollars per year for a wine sampling license issued for a retailer under subsection (n) of this section; and
(8) No fee for a special one-day licenses under subsection (o) of this section.
(c) The license period shall begin on the first day of July of each year and end on the thirtieth day of June of the following year, and if granted for a less period, the same shall be computed semiannually in proportion to the remainder of the fiscal year.
(d) No retailer may be licensed as a private club as provided by article seven of this chapter.
(e) No retailer may be licensed as a Class A retail dealer in nonintoxicating beer as provided by article sixteen, chapter eleven of this code: Provided, That a delicatessen, a caterer or party supply store which is a grocery store as defined in section two of this article and which is licensed as a Class A retail dealer in nonintoxicating beer may be a retailer under this article: Provided, however, That any delicatessen, caterer or party supply store licensed in both such capacities must maintain average monthly sales exclusive of sales of wine and nonintoxicating beer which exceed the average monthly sales of nonintoxicating beer.
(f) A retailer under this article may also hold a wine tasting license authorizing such retailer to serve complimentary samples of wine in moderate quantities for tasting. Such retailer shall organize a winetaster's club, which has at least fifty duly elected or approved dues paying members in good standing. Such club shall meet on the retailer?s premises not more than one time per week and shall either meet at a time when the premises are closed to the general public, or shall meet in a separate segregated facility on the premises to which the general public is not admitted. Attendance at tastings shall be limited to duly elected or approved dues paying members and their guests.
(g) A retailer who has more than one place of retail business shall obtain a license for each separate retail establishment. A retailer?s license may be issued only to the proprietor or owner of a bona fide grocery store or wine specialty shop.
(h) The Commissioner may issue a special license for the retail sale of wine at any festival or fair which is endorsed or sponsored by the governing body of a municipality or a county commission. Such special license shall be issued for a term of no longer than ten consecutive days and the fee therefor shall be two hundred fifty dollars regardless of the term of the license unless the applicant is the manufacturer of said wine on a farm winery as defined in section five-a, article one of this chapter, in which event the fee shall be twenty-five dollars. The application for such license shall contain such information as the Commissioner may reasonably require and shall be submitted to the Commissioner at
least thirty days prior to the first day when wine is to be sold at such festival or fair. A farm winery licensed under this subsection may exhibit, conduct tastings, not to exceed a reasonable serving, and may sell wine only for consumption off the premises of such festival or fair. A special license issued other than to a farm winery may be issued to a "wine club" as defined hereinbelow. The festival or fair committee or the governing body shall designate a person to organize a club under a name which includes the name of the festival or fair and the words "wine club." The license shall be issued in the name of the wine club. A licensee may not commence the sale of wine as provided ~~for~~ in this subsection until the wine club has at least fifty dues paying members who have been enrolled and to whom membership cards have been issued. Thereafter, new members may be enrolled and issued membership cards at any time during the period for which the license is issued. A wine club licensed under the provisions of this subsection may sell wine only to its members, and in portions not to exceed eight ounces per serving. Such sales shall take place on premises or in an area cordoned or segregated so as to be closed to the general public, and the general public shall not be admitted to such premises or area. A wine club licensee under the provisions of this subsection shall be authorized to serve complimentary samples of wine in moderate quantities for tasting.
A license issued under the provisions of this subsection and the licensee holding such license shall be subject to all other provisions of this article and the rules ~~regulations~~ and orders of the Commissioner relating to such special license: Provided, That the Commissioner may by rule, regulation, or order provide for certain waivers or exceptions with respect to such provisions, rules, regulations, or orders as the circumstances of each such festival or fair may require, including, without limitation, the right to revoke or suspend any license issued pursuant to this section prior to any notice or hearing notwithstanding the provisions of section twelve of this article: Provided, however, That under no circumstances shall the provisions of subsection (c) or (d), section twenty of this article be waived nor shall any exception be granted with respect thereto.
A license issued under the provisions of this subsection and the licensee holding such license shall not be subject to the provisions of subsection (g) of this section.
(i) A license to sell wine granted to a private wine restaurant under the provisions of this article entitles the operator to sell and serve wine, for consumption on the premises of the licensee, when such sale accompanies the serving of food or a meal to its members and their guests in accordance with the provisions of this article. Such licensees are authorized to keep and maintain on their premises a supply of wine in such quantities as may be appropriate for the conduct of operations thereof. Any
sale of wine so made shall be subject to all restrictions set forth in section twenty of this article. A private wine restaurant may also be licensed as a Class A retail dealer in nonintoxicating beer as provided by article sixteen, chapter eleven of this code.
(j) With respect to subsections (h), ~~and~~ (i), (n) and (o) of this section, the Commissioner shall promulgate legislative rules in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code with regard to the form of the applications, the suitability of both the applicant and location of the licensed premises and such other legislative rules deemed necessary to carry the provisions of such subsections into effect.
(k) The Commissioner shall promulgate legislative rules in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to allow restaurants to serve West Virginia wine with meals, but not to sell the wine by the bottle. Each restaurant so licensed shall be charged a fee less than that charged for a wine license to a retail outlet, such fees to be set forth in the aforementioned rules promulgated pursuant to this subsection.
(l) The Commissioner shall establish guidelines to permit West Virginia wines to be sold in State stores.
(m) Farm wineries as defined in section one-a of this article may advertise off premises as provided in section seven, article twenty-two, chapter seventeen and in any other media, including, but not limited to, newspaper, radio, television, magazines and direct mail solicitation.
(n) A retailer under this article may also hold a wine sampling license authorizing the retailer to conduct special wine sampling events at a licensed retail location during regular hours of business. The retailer may serve up to three complimentary samples of wine, consisting of no more than one ounce each, to any one consumer in one day. Persons serving the complimentary samples must be twenty-one years of age and duly employed by the licensed retailer, farm winery, or a representative of a distributor or registered supplier. Distributor and supplier representatives attending wine sampling events must be duly licensed by the Commissioner. No licensee, employee, or representative may furnish, give or serve complimentary samples of wine to any person less than twenty-one years of age or to a person who is physically incapacitated due to the consumption of alcoholic liquor or the use of drugs. The retailer shall notify and secure permission from the Commissioner for all wine sampling events one month prior to the event. Wine sampling events may not exceed six hours per calendar day. Licensees must purchase all wines used during these events from a West Virginia farm winery or a licensed West Virginia distributor.
(o) The Commissioner may issue special one-day licenses to duly organized, nonprofit corporations and associations allowing the sale and serving of wine when raising money for athletic, charitable, educational, political or religious purposes. The license application shall contain information as the Commissioner may reasonably require and shall be submitted to the Commissioner at least thirty days prior to the event. Wines used during these events may be donated by or purchased from a licensed retailer, distributor or West Virginia farm winery. Under no circumstances may the provision of subsection (c), section twenty of this article be waived nor may any exception be granted with respect thereto.