Florida Governor Signs Into Law 3 2018 Beverage Bills
Hop on a train to nowhere, order your full-sized bottles for delivery, and break out the branded glassware. There are a few changes to the Florida Beverage Laws.
On March 30, 2018, Governor Rick Scott signed into law three bills that make narrow and random changes to the the Florida Beverage Laws.
All Aboard for Full Pours
House Bill 1265 exempts from the mini-bottle requirement Florida trains that are engaged in intrastate travel. If you’re starting in Florida and staying in Florida, your train can carry full size bottles of spirits. Travel outside the state and your stuck with those 2-ounce mini-bottles. This law becomes effective July 1, 2018.
Place Your Orders Online (but not to a Brewery)
House Bill 667 makes it legal for licensed beverage vendors to take orders online. Vendors can make deliveries in their own vehicles or they can utilize a third-party delivery service (like Shipt or Uber Eats) or common carrier (like UPS or FedEx) to deliver beer, wine, or spirits to consumers. But there’s a catch: brewery taprooms are expressly excluded from the offsite delivery market. This law becomes effective July 1, 2018.
You May Soon Never Forget What You’re Drinking
Distributors will soon be allowed to give beverage vendors branded glassware provided for free by the manufacturers. House Bill 961 provides this amendment to Florida’s Tied House Evil statute. Distributors are limited to providing no more than 10 cases per vendor per year. This law becomes effective October 1, 2018.
Not Every Bill Made it
As usually, a handful of beverage bills never made it out of the Florida Legislature. The following chart tracks all the bills, including the ones that stalled out.
Bill # | Sponsor | Companion | Summary | Status |
SB 922 | Bean | HB 1265 | Amends F.S. §565.02 to exempt operators of intrastate railroads or sleeping cars from the miniature bottle requirement. | 3/7/2018 S Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 1265 -SJ 877 |
CS/HB 1265 | Miller | SB 922 | Amends F.S. §565.02 to exempt operators of intrastate railroads or sleeping cars from the miniature bottle requirement and the requirement to keep alcoholic beverages intended for sale on passenger trains & alcoholic beverages intended for sale in railroad transit station separate. | 3/30/2018 Approved by Governor |
SB 822 | Hutson | HB 775 | Amends F.S. § 561.42 creating an exemption from the tied house evil provisions for specified financial transactions between a manufacturer or importer of malt beverages and a licensed vendor. Prohibits the manufacturer or importer of malt beverage from soliciting or receiving any portion of certain payments for its distributors. | 3/10/2018 Senate – Died on Calendar |
HB 775 | La Rosa | SB 822 | Amends F.S. § 561.42 creating an exemption from the tied house evil provisions for specified financial transactions between a manufacturer or importer of malt beverages and a licensed vendor. Prohibits the manufacturer or importer of malt beverage from soliciting or receiving any portion of certain payments for its distributors. | 3/10/2018 House – Died on Calendar |
SB 1020 | Young | HB 667 | Alcohol Delivers. Amend F.S. § 561.57 to include electronic orders as a sale made at the vendor’s licensed place of business. Allows manufacturers, distributors, and vendors to contract with third parties for certain deliveries. | 3/7/2018 Senate – Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 667 -SJ 877 |
CS/HB 667 | Perez | SB 1020 | Alcohol Delivers. Amend F.S. § 561.57 to include electronic orders as a sale made at the vendor’s licensed place of business. Allows manufacturers, distributors, and vendors to contract with third parties for certain deliveries. | 3/30/2018 Approved by Governor |
CS/HB 961 | Gruters | SB 1224 | Allows distributor to give branded glassware to vendors for on-premises consumption. | 3/30/2018 Approved by Governor |
SB 1224 | Bradley | HB 961 | Allows distributor to give branded glassware to vendors for on-premises consumption. | 3/7/2018 Senate – Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 961 -SJ 878 |
SB 296 | Brades | HB 669 | Repeals F.S. § 564.05 limiting the size of individual wine containers. Amends F.S. § 564.055 to allow the packaging, filling, refilling, or sale of cider in growlers. Amends F.S. § 564.09 to authorize a restaurant to allow a patron to remove certain containers from the restaurant for off premises consumption. | 3/9/2018 Senate – Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 669 -SJ 1012 |
HB 669 | Perez | SB 296 | Repeals F.S. § 564.05 limiting the size of individual wine containers. Amends F.S. § 564.055 to allow the packaging, filling, refilling, or sale of cider in growlers. Amends F.S. § 564.09 to authorize a restaurant to allow a patron to remove certain containers from the restaurant for off premises consumption. | 3/10/2018 Senate – Died in returning Messages |