2015 -- S 0255

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LC000829

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

     

     Introduced By: Senators Crowley, Lombardo, Sosnowski, Jabour, and Ottiano

     Date Introduced: February 11, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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Provisions" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     3-1-1. Definitions. -- As used in this title, unless the context otherwise requires:

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     (1) "Alcohol inhalation" means a method of administering ethanol or alcoholic beverages

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directly into the respiratory system, with the aid of a vaporizing or nebulizing device.

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      (2) "Alcohol without liquid device" means a device, machine, apparatus, or appliance

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that is designed or marketed for the purpose of inhaling alcohol vapor or otherwise introducing

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alcohol in any form into the human body including, but not limited to, introducing a heating

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element to convert the alcohol to a vapor or by mixing alcohol with pure or diluted oxygen, or

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another gas, to produce an alcoholic vapor that an individual can inhale or snort. An alcohol

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without liquid device does not include an inhaler, nebulizer, atomizer, or other device that is

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designed and intended by the manufacturer to dispense a prescribed or over-the-counter

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medication.

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     (3)(1) "Beverage" means any liquid which either by itself or by mixture with any other

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liquid or liquids is or may become fit for human consumption as a drink and which contains five-

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tenths of one per cent (.5%) or more of alcohol by weight.

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      (2)(4) "Club" means a corporation subject to the provisions of chapter 6 of title 7,

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owning, hiring, or leasing a building or space in a building of such extent and character as may be

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suitable and adequate for the reasonable and comfortable accommodation of its members, and

 

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whose affairs and management are conducted by a board of directors, executive committee or

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other similar body chosen by the members at a meeting held for that purpose, none of whose

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members, officers, agents, or employees are paid directly or indirectly any compensation by way

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of profit from the distribution or sale of beverages to the members of the club or to its guests

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beyond the amount of any reasonable salary or wages as may be fixed and voted each year by the

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directors or other governing body.

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      (3)(5) "Department" means the department of business regulation.

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      (4)(6) "Director" means the director of the department of business regulation.

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      (5)(7) "Division of taxation" means the division of taxation of the department of

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administration.

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      (6)(8) "Farmer-winery" means any plant or premise where wine is produced, rectified,

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blended or fortified from fruits, flowers, herbs or vegetables.

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      (7)(9) "Import" means at one time or in one transaction to take or cause to be taken into

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this state from outside the state any malt beverage in excess of eight (8) gallons or any vinous

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beverage or any beverage consisting in whole or in part of alcohol produced by distillation in

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excess of three (3) gallons.

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      (8)(10) "Intoxicating beverage" means a beverage which contains more than three and

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two-tenths percent (3.2%) of alcohol by weight.

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      (9)(11) "Malt beverage" means any beverage which is usually produced at breweries, as

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distinguished from distilleries.

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      (10)(12) "Nonintoxicating beverage" means a beverage which contains not more than

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three and two-tenths percent (3.2%) of alcohol by weight.

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      (11)(13) "Tavern" means any house where the principal business is the furnishing of

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food and sleeping accommodations.

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      (12)(14) "Victualing house" means any shop or place where a substantial part of the

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business is the furnishing of food for consumption at the place where it is furnished.

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      (13)(15) "Winegrower" means any person licensed to operate a farmer's winery under §

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3-6-1.1.

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      (14)(16) "Wines" means all fermented alcoholic beverages made from fruits, flowers,

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herbs, or vegetables and containing not more than twenty-four percent (24%) of alcohol by

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volume at sixty degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees F), except cider obtained by the alcohol

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fermentation of the juice of apples and containing not less than five tenths of one percent (.05%)

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or containing not more than six percent (6%), of alcohol by weight at sixty degrees Fahrenheit

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(60 degrees F) including but not limited to flavored, sparkling, or carbonated cider.

 

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 3-8 of the General Laws entitled "Regulation of Sales" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     3-8-17. Possession or sale of alcohol without liquid device prohibited. -- (a) It is

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unlawful for a person to use, offer for use, purchase, offer to purchase, sell, offer to sell, or

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possess an alcohol without liquid device as defined in § 3-1-1.

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     (b) This section shall not apply to a healthcare provider that operates primarily for the

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purpose of conducting scientific research, a state institution conducting bona fide research, a

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private college or university conducting bona fide research, or to a pharmaceutical company or

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biotechnology company conducting bona fide research.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

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     This act would make the possession of an alcohol without liquid device a crime

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punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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