2013 -- H 5795

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LC01923

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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A N A C T

RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES - RETAIL LICENSES

     Introduced By: Representative Agostinho F. Silva

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2013

     Referred To: House Corporations

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 3-7-4.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 3-7 entitled "Retail

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Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     3-7-4.1. Holders of retail Class A licenses permitted to conduct wine and beer

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samplings inside licensed premises Holders of retail Class A licenses permitted to conduct

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wine, beer, and distilled spirit samplings inside licensed premises. -- Any holder of a Class A

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retail license shall be permitted to conduct at no charge to the consumer, inside the premises of

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the licensee, sample tastings of wine (under 13% alcohol by volume), and beer (under 5.5%

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alcohol by volume) and distilled spirits available for purchase from the licensee's outlet. These

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samples shall not exceed one ounce servings of each wine, the number of wines being limited to

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no more than four (4) products at any one tasting and one ounce serving of each beer with the

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number of beer samplings being limited to two (2) products at any one tasting and one quarter

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ounce serving (1/4 oz) of each distilled spirit, the number of distilled spirits being limited to no

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more than two (2) products at any one tasting. Furthermore, wine, and beer and distilled spirits

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samplings may not be conducted simultaneously on the same Class A licensed premise. Each

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consumer shall be limited to no more than one sample tasting of each product.

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      It shall be required that the licensee provide, at no charge to the consumer, food

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samplings to be included with the tasting of all wine and beer. Those food samplings not

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consumed during the tasting shall not thereafter be offered for sale.

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      The licensee shall control, without wholesaler or supplier participation, the dispensing of

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all samples to prospective customers. The licensee may not hold more than ten (10) tasting events

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in any thirty (30) day period. It shall be required that the licensee provide to the dispenser(s) of

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said wine and beer samples, training in the service of alcoholic beverages by a recognized

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training provider of alcoholic beverage service.

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      Sampling events may not be promoted except on the licensed premises. It shall be

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unlawful for any wholesaler, manufacturer, supplier or any other person or entity to participate or

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provide anything or any service of value on account of or in conjunction with any such sampling.

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It shall be unlawful for any tasting or combination of tastings to exceed more than four (4) hours

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from start to finish and must be conducted during the normal hours of business.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC01923

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES - RETAIL LICENSES

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     This act would add certain amounts of distilled spirits to the permitted samples which

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may be distributed by class A license holders.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC01923

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