Legislative News: Updates on Bills Concerning Alcohol in RI House and Senate
By Lauren Daley
As part of ongoing coverage of the Rhode Island General Assembly’s 2015 legislative session, this is a rundown of report on bills’ statuses and new bills that have been introduced to the House and Senate floors. The Beverage Journal will continue to follow these bills and others as they are submitted and reported. Note that some House and Senate bills are similar.
House Bill 5428: This act would permit the sale of farmer-winery products at farmers’ markets statewide. The act would take effect upon passage. The act was introduced on Feb. 12 by Rep. Jared R. Nunes, Rep. Teresa Tanzi, Rep. Sherry Roberts, Rep. K. Joseph Shekarchi and Rep. Joy Hearn. It was referred to House Corporations Committee.
Read the text of the bill here.
Senate Bill 0345: This act would amend the current law so that a farmer-winery or a farmer-brewery may under certain conditions, be licensed to sell wine/beer for off-premises consumption at a farmers’ market, similar to that permitted in Massachusetts. The act was introduced by Sen. Adam J. Satchell, Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush, Sen. Ryan W. Pearson, Sen. Susan Sosnowski and Sen. Nicholas D. Kettle on Feb.12. It was referred to Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs.
Read full text of the bill here.
House Bill 5523: This act would provide that a distillery producing more than 50,000 gallons or more of product would pay a licensing fee of three thousand dollars ($3,000). A distillery producing less than 50,000 gallons per year would pay a licensing fee of $500 per year. It would also grant a tax exemption on the first 50,000 gallons of distilled spirits produced and distributed in this state to any distillery that has been owned and operated in this state for at least 12 consecutive months. This act would take effect upon passage. The act was introduced by Rep. Marvin L. Abney and Rep. Dennis M. Canario on Feb. 12 and was referred to the House Finance Committee.
Read the text of the bill here.
Senate Bill 0286: This act would provide that a distillery producing more than 50,000 gallons or more of product would pay a licensing fee of three thousand dollars ($3,000). A distillery producing less than 50,000 gallons per year would pay a licensing fee of $500 per year. It would also grant a tax exemption on the first 50,000 gallons of distilled spirits produced and distributed in this state to any distillery that has been owned and operated in this state for at least 12 consecutive months. This act would take effect upon passage. It was introduced on Feb. 11 by Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush, and Sen. Dennis L. Algiere. The act has been referred to the Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs.
Read full text of bill here.
House Bill 5178 has been scheduled for hearing and/or consideration by the House Committee on Corporations on Feb. 24. This act would permit class A liquor retail license holders to elect on four (4) occasions annually to serve unlimited samples of wine products which are available for purchase from the licensee’s outlet. This act would take effect upon passage. The act was introduced by Rep. John M. Carnevale, Rep. Raymond A. Hull, Rep. William W. O’Brien, Rep. Daniel P. McKiernan and Rep. Joseph S. Almeida on Jan. 21.
Read text of the bill here.
House Bill 5081 has been scheduled for hearing and/or consideration before the House Committee on Corporations on Feb. 24. This act would create a Wine Direct Shipper License for licensed producers in this or any state to directly ship a limited amount of wine to residents age 21 or older for personal consumption with oversight by the department of business regulation and/or the division of taxation with any violations punishable as a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,500 and/or imprisonment for a period of up to one year. This act would take effect upon passage. Introduced by Rep. Brian C. Newberry, Rep. Daniel Reilly, Rep. John G. Edwards and Rep. Michael W. Chippendale on Jan. 14 and referred to the House Corporations Committee.
Read the full text of the bill here.
House Bill 5189 has been scheduled for hearing and/or consideration by the House Committee on Judiciary on Feb. 24. This act would make the possession or sale of powdered alcohol a crime punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. This act would take effect upon passage. The act was introduced by Rep. Lauren Carson, Rep. Joseph M. McNamara, Rep. John E. Fogarty, Rep. David A. Bennett and Rep. Mia A. Ackerman on Jan. 21.
Read full text of bill here.
Senate Bill 0175 was introduced on Feb. 5 by Sen. Frank Lombardo III, Sen. Elizabeth A. Crowley, Sen. Christopher Scott Ottiano, Sen. Dominick J. Ruggerio, and Sen. William A. Walaska. This act would make the possession of powdered alcohol a crime punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. This act would take effect upon passage. It has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Read the full text of the bill here.
Senate Bill 0255 was introduced on Feb. 11 by Sen. Elizabeth A. Crowley, Sen. Frank Lombardo III, Sen. Susan Sosnowski, Sen. Paul V. Jabour, and Sen. Christopher Scott Ottiano. This act would make the possession of an alcohol without liquid device a crime punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment. In the bill, such a device is defined as “a device, machine, apparatus, or appliance that is designed or marketed for the purpose of inhaling alcohol vapor or otherwise introducing alcohol in any form into the human body including, but not limited to, introducing a heating element to convert the alcohol to a vapor or by mixing alcohol with pure or diluted oxygen, or another gas, to produce an alcoholic vapor that an individual can inhale or snort. (It) does not include an inhaler, nebulizer, atomizer, or other device that is designed and intended by the manufacturer to dispense a prescribed or over-the-counter medication.” This act would take effect upon passage. It was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Read the full text of the bill here.
Senate Bill 0356: This act would prohibit individuals from completing alcohol-server training requirements
from online or internet sources. This act would take effect upon passage. The act was introduced Feb. 12 by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis, Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, Sen. Stephen R. Archambault, Sen. Christopher Scott Ottiano, and Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush. It was referred to the Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs.
Read full text of the bill here.
Senate Bill 0047: This act would prohibit the use of direct cash assistance funds held on Electronic Benefit Transfer cards for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets, tobacco products and certain other products and services. The act would further provide for penalties for violations of the act and would take effect upon passage. Introduced by Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, Sen. Daniel DaPonte, Sen. Ryan W. Pearson, Sen. Frank A. Ciccone III and Sen. Christopher Scott Ottiano on Jan. 13. Referred to Senate Finance Committee.
Read text of the billhere.
House Bill 5018: This act would prohibit a recipient of direct cash assistance on electronic benefit cards from utilizing that benefit card at liquor stores, casino gaming facilities, tattoo parlors, firearm dealers and various other adult entertainment establishments, and would establish penalties for violations by recipients.This act would also prohibit store owners from accepting the benefit card for the purchase of the above items and provides for penalties for violations, and would create a new criminal offense deeming such offenses as “fraud against the department of human services.” It would take effect upon passage and was introduced by Rep. Arthur J. Corvese, Rep. Helio Melo, Rep. John G. Edwards, Rep. Samuel A. Azzinaro and Rep. Jan Malik on Jan. 8 and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
Read full texthere.
House Bill 5250: This act would prohibit eligible recipients of direct cash assistance from using direct cash assistance funds for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets, or tobacco products. It further requires eligible recipients of direct cash assistance who make a purchase in violation of this act to reimburse the department for such purchases. This act would take effect upon passage. Introduced by Rep. Patricia L. Morgan, Rep. Daniel Reilly, Rep. Antonio Giarrusso, Rep. Robert A. Nardolillo and Rep. Sherry Roberts on Jan. 29. Referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
Read full text of billhere.
Senate Bill 0120: This act would prohibit the use of direct cash assistance funds held on electronic benefit transfer cards for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, lottery tickets, tobacco products and certain other products and services. The act would further provide for penalties for violations of the act. This act would take effect upon passage. Introduced by Sen. Nicholas D. Kettle, Sen. Marc A. Cote, Sen. Elaine J. Morgan, Sen. Dennis L. Algiere and Sen. Christopher Scott Ottiano on Jan. 22 and referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
Read full text of bill here.
Senate Bill 0139: This act would permit Class A liquor retail license holders to elect on four (4) occasions annually to serve unlimited samples of wine products which are available for purchase from the licensee’s outlet. This act would take effect upon passage. Introduced by Sen. Paul V. Jabour, Sen. Frank S. Lombardi, Sen. Michael J. McCaffrey, Sen. James E. Doyle and Sen. Elizabeth A. Crowley on Jan. 22 and referred to the Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs.
Read the full text of the bill here.
House Bill 5253: This act would amend Section 3-5-16 of the General Laws to remove the prohibition of the town of Barrington from issuing Class A licenses. The act was introduced by Rep. Joy Hearn and Rep. Jan Malik on Jan. 29 and was referred to the House Municipal Government.
Read text of the bill here.
The Beverage Journal will be following these bills throughout the legislative session. For more, visit http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/Pages/Default.aspx.
