Florida Beverage Legislation: 2019 Pre-Session Review of Beverage Bills
The 2019 Session of the Florida Legislature will include consideration of a number of bills affecting breweries, wineries, distilleries, distributors, and consumers.
The 2019 regular session of the Florida Legislature kicks off Tuesday, March 5, 2019. This 2-month session will see the consideration of a number of bills that could affect the Florida beverage industry as soon as July.
For a refresher on how a bill goes from being introduced to becoming law in Florida, check out the Florida Senate’s Idea-to-Law Flowchart and the Florida League of City’s short video: Florida’s Legislative Process 101.
The following chart provides a summary of this session’s beverage-focused bills. We’ll check back in on the status of these bills at end of the session.
Bill # | Sponsor | Similar Bills | Summary | Status |
| SB 220 | Brandes | HB 907 | - Eliminates container size restrictions for wine and cider
- Eliminates “full course” requirement for taking home unconsumed wine
- Expands definition of “craft distillery” to 250,000 gallons per year
- Allows craft distilleries to sell up to 75,000 gallons in gift shop without per customer restriction
| 2/22/2019 Senate – Now in Innovation, Industry, and Technology |
| SB 672 | Rader | HB 853 | - Florida Beverage Container Deposit Act
- Requires dealers and consumers to pay a deposit fee for specific beverage containers, including alcoholic beverage cans, glasses, and kegs
- Authorizes deposit refunds to be paid by the vendor or redemption centers that are registered with the Florida Department of Revenue
| 2/15/2019 Senate – Referred to Environment and Natural Resources; Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; Appropriations |
| SB 894 | Stargel | HB 6037 | - Repeals Florida Statutes Section 564.05, relating to the limitations of the size of individual wine containers
| 2/19/2019 Senate – Referred to Innovation, Industry, and Technology; Commerce and Tourism; Rules |
| SB 1304 | Mayfield | HB 903 | - Authorizes a brewery to transfer to its licensed facility certain malt beverages that are brewed by another manufacturer
- Authorizes a brewery to terminate a contract with a distributor under certain circumstances.
- Revises requirements relating to distributors’ warehouse inventory and sales
- Provides an exception to the come-to-rest requirement for certain deliveries made by specified manufacturers
- Deletes a prohibition on manufacturers with a vendor’s license making certain deliveries, etc.
| 2/22/2019 Senate – Filed |
| HB 853 | Stark | SB 672 | - Florida Beverage Container Deposit Act
- Requires dealers and consumers to pay a deposit fee for specific beverage containers, including alcoholic beverage cans, glasses, and kegs
- Authorizes deposit refunds to be paid by the vendor or redemption centers that are registered with the Florida Department of Revenue
| 2/28/2019 House – Referred to Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee; Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee; State Affairs Committee |
| HB 903 | Toledo | SB 1304 | - Authorizes a brewery to transfer to its licensed facility certain malt beverages that are brewed by another manufacturer
- Authorizes a brewery to terminate a contract with a distributor under certain circumstances.
- Revises requirements relating to distributors’ warehouse inventory and sales
- Provides an exception to the come-to-rest requirement for certain deliveries made by specified manufacturers
- Deletes a prohibition on manufacturers with a vendor’s license making certain deliveries, etc.
| 2/28/2019 House – Referred to Business and Professions Subcommittee; Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee; Commerce Committee |
| HB 1219 | Sabatini | | - Authorizes licensed vendor of alcoholic beverages to allow dogs in certain designated areas on their licensed premises
- Authorizes malt beverages to be packaged in 2 liter containers
- Repeals provisions relating to limitations on size of individual wine containers
- Eliminates container size restrictions for wine and cider
- Eliminates “full course” requirement for taking home unconsumed wine
- Expands definition of “craft distillery” to 250,000 gallons per year
- Allows craft distilleries to sell up to 75,000 gallons in gift shop without per customer restriction
| 3/1/2019 House – Filed |
| HB 1229 | Raschein | | - Authorizes a craft distillery to hold multiple vendor’s licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages
- Permits craft distilleries to conduct tastings and sell distilled spirits at fairs, trade shows, and festivals
- Authorizes certain craft distilleries to transfer distilled spirits to its vendor’s licensed premises, to be licensed as distributor, to conduct spirituous beverage tastings at specified licensed premises
| 3/1/2019 House – Filed |
| HB 6037 | Stark | SB 894 | - Repeals Florida Statutes Section 564.05, relating to the limitations of the size of individual wine containers
| 2/13/2019 House – Referred to Business and Professions Subcommittee; Commerce Committee |
