Bill Text: CA AB252 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Alcoholic beverage control: licensees.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-07-23 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 153, Statutes of 2012. [AB252 Detail]
Download: California-2011-AB252-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 252 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 153
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 23, 2012
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JULY 23, 2012
PASSED THE SENATE JULY 5, 2012
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 5, 2012
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Charles Calderon
FEBRUARY 3, 2011
An act to amend Section 25600.5 of the Business and Professions
Code, relating to alcoholic beverages.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 252, Charles Calderon. Alcoholic beverage control: licensees.
Existing provisions of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act
generally prohibit manufacturers, winegrowers, bottlers, importers,
wholesalers, and others from performing certain activities, with
specified exceptions. Existing law, until January 1, 2014, permits a
manufacturer of distilled spirits, winegrower, rectifier, or
distiller, or any authorized agent of that person to provide, free of
charge, entertainment, food, and distilled spirits, wine, or
nonalcoholic beverages to consumers over 21 years of age at an
invitation-only event in connection with the sale or distribution of
wine or distilled spirits, as specified.
This bill would additionally permit a distilled spirits
manufacturer's agent to provide entertainment, food, and distilled
spirits, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages at an event described
above, as specified.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act provides that a violation of
specified provisions of the act is punishable as a misdemeanor. This
bill, by expanding the definition of an existing crime, would impose
a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 25600.5 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
25600.5. Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, a
manufacturer of distilled spirits, distilled spirits manufacturer's
agent, winegrower, rectifier, or distiller, or its authorized
unlicensed agent, may provide, free of charge, entertainment, food,
and distilled spirits, wine, or nonalcoholic beverages to consumers
at an invitation-only event in connection with the sale or
distribution of wine or distilled spirits, subject to the following
conditions:
(a) No licensee, other than those specified in this section, may
conduct or participate in any portion of an event authorized by this
section. A licensee authorized to conduct an event pursuant to this
section shall not be precluded from doing so on the basis of holding
any other type of alcoholic beverage license.
(b) An event authorized by this section shall be conducted on
premises for which a caterer's permit authorization has been issued,
except that any event held on the premises of a licensed winegrower
shall not be authorized to provide any distilled spirits other than
brandy.
(c) No event authorized by this section shall be conducted on
premises for which a permanent retail license has been issued.
(d) Except for fair market value payments authorized pursuant to
this section, a licensed caterer shall not receive any other item of
value or benefit in connection with events authorized by this
section.
(e) The person authorized by this section to provide, free of
charge, entertainment, food, and beverages shall be present during
the event.
(f) The person authorized by this section to provide, free of
charge, entertainment, food, and beverages shall have sole
responsibility for providing payment for the entertainment, food,
beverages, and rental fees at the event. Payments for entertainment,
food, beverages, and rental fees shall not exceed fair market value.
No other licensed person shall be authorized, under this section, to
provide any portion of these payments.
(g) Requests for attendance at the event shall be by invitation
sent to consumers over 21 years of age at a specific address via mail
or e-mail, by telephone, or presented in person. Invitations or
other advertisements of the event shall not be disseminated by any
other means. Invitations shall not be sent by the authorized person
or their authorized unlicensed agent inviting all of the employees of
a retail licensee or a chain of retail licensees under common
ownership to an authorized event.
(h) Attendance at the event shall be limited to consumers who
receive and accept an invitation to the event. Invited consumers may
each invite one guest. All attendees shall be over 21 years of age.
The total number of consumers and their guests allowed at any event
authorized by this section shall not exceed 400 people. Admittance to
the event shall be controlled by a list containing the names of
consumers who accepted the invitation and their guests. The persons
identified in this section shall be responsible for compliance.
(i) No premium, gift, free goods, or other thing of value may be
given away in connection with the event, except as authorized by this
division.
(j) The duration of any event authorized by this section shall not
exceed four hours.
(k) (1) A person authorized to conduct events pursuant to this
section shall not conduct more than 12 events in a calendar year
where the consumers and guests in attendance exceed 100 people, and
not more than 24 events in a calendar year where the consumers and
guests in attendance is 100 people or fewer.
(2) The limitation on events authorized by this section shall be
by person, whether that person holds a single license or multiple
licenses. If a person holds multiple licenses, the limitation shall
be applied to the person holding the license, not by type of license.
(l) When applying for a caterer's permit authorization, the person
authorized to conduct an event pursuant to this section shall
include, in addition to any information required by the department,
all of the following information:
(1) The name of the company authorized to conduct the event.
(2) The number of people planned to be in attendance.
(3) The start and end times for the event.
(4) The location of the event.
(m) All alcoholic beverages provided pursuant to this section
shall be purchased from the holder of the caterer's permit.
(n) All alcoholic beverages served at an event authorized by this
section shall be served in accordance with Sections 25631 and 25632.
(o) No person authorized to conduct an event pursuant to this
section shall hold such an event at the same location more than eight
times in a calendar year.
(p) The person authorized to conduct an event under this section
may provide attendees at the event with a free ride home. The free
rides shall only constitute free ground transportation to attendees'
homes or to hotels or motels where attendees are staying.
(q) In addition to the prescribed fee imposed upon a licensed
caterer to conduct an event authorized by this section, the
department may also impose a fee upon a licensee authorized by this
section to provide, free of charge, entertainment, food, and
beverages at an authorized event. The fee shall be representative of
the cost of administering and enforcing the provisions of this
section, but shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200) per event.
(r) The Legislature finds and declares both of the following:
(1) That it is necessary and proper to require a separation
between manufacturing interests, wholesale interests, and retail
interests in the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages
in order to prevent suppliers from dominating local markets through
vertical integration and to prevent excessive sales of alcoholic
beverages produced by overly aggressive marketing techniques.
(2) Any exception established by the Legislature to the general
prohibition against tied interests must be limited to the express
terms of the exception so as to not undermine the general
prohibitions.
(s) This section shall remain in effect until January 1, 2014, and
as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is
enacted before January 1, 2014, deletes or extends that date.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.
