HBA-ALS, RAR H.B. 412 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 412
By: Denny
Licensing and Administrative Procedures
3/9/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the holder of a winery permit (permit holder) is allowed
to sell and dispense free wine to consumers for consumption on or off the
winery premises only if the winery is located in a city that lies in three
or more counties, one of which has a population of 500,000 or more and has
all or part of an international airport within its boundaries.  The purpose
of this bill is to increase economic development and economic
diversification in other regions of the state through the growth of the
wine industry. 

H.B. 412 allows a permit holder to sell and dispense free wine to consumers
for consumption on or off the winery premises if the winery is in a county
that has a population of at least 270,000 and is adjacent to two or more
counties with a population of at least one million.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 16.01(d), Alcoholic Beverage Code, to add a
county that has a population of 270,000 or more and is adjacent to two or
more counties with a population of one million or more as a location in
which  the holder of a winery permit is authorized to sell or dispense free
of charge wine to ultimate consumers for on or off-premises consumption.
Redesignates existing Subdivisions (1) and (2) to Paragraphs (A) and (B)
respectively.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.