Florida Beverage Legislation 2026: Post-Session Review

One beverage bill received a full vote by the Florida Legislature during its 2026 session.

The Florida Legislature’s 2026 regular session officially ended (called “sine die”) on March 13, 2026. Although 14 bills aimed at the Florida beverage industry were introduced, only 1 consensus bill was passed by both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate and now waits for signature by the governor.

CS/HB 1137: Deductions for Certain Losses of Alcoholic Beverages

CS/HB 1137 lets alcoholic beverage distributors reduce the Florida excise taxes they owe to account for product that can’t be sold due to normal “shrink” and damage. It creates a standard deduction for ordinary losses such as breakage, spoilage, evaporation, expiration, or product that is unfit for consumption. The standard deduction is capped as a percentage of gross excise tax collected: wine 0.49%, liquor 0.15%, and malt beverages 0.20% (or, for malt beverages, the distributor may elect actual breakage/spoilage instead, with an annual election).

The bill also creates a separate deduction for extraordinary, one-time losses based on the actual gallons lost (e.g., acts of God/natural events, shipping accidents, or manufacturer recalls requiring destruction).
To claim these deductions, distributors must meet specific notice, documentation, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements, and the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco can adopt rules to enforce them.

The new statute applies retroactively to January 1, 2025, and is effective upon becoming law.

Do you have any questions about the proposed change to Florida Beverage Laws ? Contact us to schedule a consultation with a beverage attorney.

Because we’re attorneys: Disclaimer. Originally posted 03/15/2026.

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