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Introduced Version Senate Bill 479 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted

WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 479

By Senators Blair, Rucker, Takubo, Maroney, Cline

[Introduced February 28, 2017; Referred
to the Committee on Government Organization; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §60-3-12 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §60-3A-17, §60-3A-18 and §60-3A-25 of said code, all relating to Sunday sales of liquor by retail licensees; and authorizing the Legislature to set the maximum wholesale markup percentage on all liquor, other than wine.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:


That §60-3-12 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that §60-3A-17, §60-3A-18 and §60-3A-25 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:

ARTICLE 3. SALES BY COMMISSIONER.


§60-3-12. Days and hours state stores and agencies may open.

The commission shall fix the days on which state stores shall be open and the hours of opening and closing, and the hours during which agencies may sell alcoholic liquors. Stores shall not be open nor shall agencies sell alcoholic liquors on any general election day.

1. Sundays.

2. Any general election day.


ARTICLE 3A. SALES BY RETAIL LIQUOR LICENSEES.


§60-3A-17. Wholesale prices set by commissioner; retail licensees to purchase liquor from state; transportation and storage; method of payment.


(a) The commissioner shall fix wholesale prices for the sale of liquor, other than wine, to retail licensees. The commissioner shall sell liquor, other than wine, to retail licensees according to a uniform pricing schedule. The commissioner shall obtain, if possible, upon request, any liquor requested by a retail licensee and those permitted to manufacture and sell liquor pursuant to section three, article four of this chapter.

(b) Wholesale prices shall be established in order to yield a net profit for the General Revenue Fund of not less than $6,500,000 annually on an annual volume of business equal to the average for the past three years. The net revenue derived from the sale of alcoholic liquors shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund in the manner provided in section seventeen, article three of this chapter.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, the commissioner Legislature shall specify the maximum wholesale markup percentage which may be applied to the prices paid by the commissioner for all liquor, other than wine, in order to determine the prices at which all liquor, other than wine, will be sold to retail licensees. A retail licensee shall purchase all liquor, other than wine, for resale in this state only from the commissioner, and the provisions of sections twelve and thirteen, article six of this chapter shall not apply to the transportation of the liquor: Provided, That a retail licensee shall purchase wine from a wine distributor who is duly licensed under article eight of this chapter. All liquor, other than wine, purchased by retail licensees shall be stored in the state at the retail outlet or outlets operated by the retail licensee: Provided, however, That the commissioner, in his or her discretion, may upon written request permit a retail licensee to store liquor at a site other than the retail outlet or outlets.

(d) The sale of liquor by the commissioner to retail licensees shall be paid by electronic funds transfer which shall be initiated by the commissioner on the business day following the retail licensees order or by money order, certified check or cashier's check which shall be received by the commissioner at least twenty-four hours prior to the shipping of the alcoholic liquors: Provided, That if a retail licensee posts with the commissioner an irrevocable letter of credit or bond with surety acceptable to the commissioner from a financial institution acceptable to the commissioner guaranteeing payment of checks, then the commissioner may accept the retail licensee's checks in an amount up to the amount of the letter of credit.

(e) (1) A retail licensee may not sell liquor to persons licensed under the provisions of article seven of this chapter at less than one hundred ten percent of the retail licensee's cost as defined in section six, article eleven-a, chapter forty-seven of this code.

(2) A retail licensee may not sell liquor to the general public at less than one hundred ten percent of the retail licensee's cost as defined in section six, article eleven-a, chapter forty-seven of this code.


§60-3A-18. Days and hours retail licensees may sell liquor.


Retail licensees may not sell liquor on Sundays and between the hours of twelve midnight and one o’clock p.m. on Christmas day, or between the hours of twelve midnight and eight o'clock a.m. on all other days, except that wine and fortified wines may be sold on those days and at such times as authorized in section thirty-four, article eight of this chapter.


§60-3A-25. Certain acts of retail licensees prohibited; criminal penalties.


(a) It is unlawful for any retail licensee, or agent or employee thereof, on such retail licensee's premises to:

(1) Sell or offer for sale any liquor other than from the original package or container;

(2) Sell, give away, or permit the sale of, gift of, or the procurement of, any liquor, for or to any person under twenty-one years of age;

(3) Sell, give away, or permit the sale of, gift of, or the procurement of, any liquor, for or to any person visibly intoxicated;

(4) Sell or offer for sale any liquor on any Sunday or other than during the hours permitted for the sale of liquor by retail licensees as provided under this article;

(5) Permit the consumption by any person of any liquor;

(6) With the intent to defraud, alter, change or misrepresent the quality, quantity or brand name of any liquor;

(7) Permit any person under eighteen years of age to sell, furnish or give liquor to any other person;

(8) Purchase or otherwise obtain liquor in any manner or from any source other than that specifically authorized in this article; or

(9) Permit any person to break the seal on any package or bottle of liquor.

(b) Any person who violates any provision of this article, except section twenty-four of this article, including, but not limited to, any provision of this section, or any rule promulgated by the board or the commissioner, or who makes any false statement concerning any material fact, or who omits any material fact with intent to deceive, in submitting an application for a retail license or for a renewal of a retail license or in any hearing concerning the suspension or revocation thereof, or who commits any of the acts declared in this article to be unlawful, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, shall, upon conviction thereof, for each offense be fined not less than $100 or more than $5,000, or imprisoned in the county jail for not less than thirty days nor more than one year, or both fined and imprisoned. Magistrates have concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts for offenses under this article.

(c) Nothing in this article, or any rule of the board or commissioner, prevents or prohibits any retail licensee from employing any person who is at least eighteen years of age to serve in any retail licensee's lawful employment at any retail outlet operated by such retail licensee, or from having such person sell or deliver liquor under the provisions of this article. With the prior approval of the commissioner, a retail licensee may employ persons at any retail outlet operated by such retail licensee who are less than eighteen years of age but at least sixteen years of age, but such persons' duties shall not include the sale or delivery of liquor: Provided, That the authorization to employ such persons under the age of eighteen years shall be clearly indicated on the retail license issued to any such retail licensee.


 

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow sales of liquor by retail licensees after one o’clock p.m. on Sundays; and to transfer the authority to set the maximum wholesale markup percentage of all liquor, other than wine, from the commissioner to the Legislature.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

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