HB 824 (Kuempel/Eltife) permits a customer who has entered a package store and is still in the store at the time the hours of legal sale end, then the customer can remain in the store for a reasonable amount of time to finish shopping, and then purchase an alcoholic beverage even though the sale occurs after the designated end of the hours of legal sale. The bill was signed by the Governor June 19, 2015 and became effective immediately.
HB 1039 (Geren/Seliger) relating to the sale by package stores of containers of liquor with a capacity of less than six fluid ounces was signed by the Governor June 19, 2015 and became effective immediately.
HB 1348 (Geren/Eltife) relating to the approval of certain alcoholic beverages by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). Prohibits the commission from requiring additional approval for the product unless there is a change to the label or product that requires reissuance of the federal certificate of label approval. Requires the commission to accept the certificate of label approval as constituting full compliance only with any applicable standards adopted under Section 5.38 (Quality and Purity of Beverages) regarding quality, purity, and identity of distilled spirits or wine. The bill was filed without the Governor’s signature and becomes effective September 1, 2015.
HB 2296 (Smith/Seliger) relating to regulation by a municipality of the possession of an open container or the public consumption of alcoholic beverages. The bill was signed by the Governor June 16, 2015 and becomes effective September 1, 2015.
HB 2339 (Smith/Eltife) relating to consumption of alcoholic beverages in public entertainment facilities was signed by the Governor June 10, 2015 and became effective immediately.
SB 808 (Eltife/Smith) relating to the sale of distilled spirits to ultimate consumers by the holder of a distiller's and rectifier's permit. The bill amends the Alcoholic Beverage Code to remove the condition on the authority of a distiller's and rectifier's permit holder to sell distilled spirits to ultimate consumers that the permit holder be located in a wet area. The bill instead conditions the authority of such a permit holder to collect a fee for distilled spirits samplings on the permitted premises and to sell to ultimate consumers for consumption on the permitted premises distilled spirits manufactured or rectified by the permit holder on the permitted premises being located in an area where the sale of alcoholic beverages is legal as provided by a ballot issue approved by the voters on the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages, the legal sale of mixed beverages, or the legal sale of mixed beverages in restaurants by food and beverage certificate holders only. The bill was signed by the Governor June 16, 2015 and becomes effective September 1, 2015.