BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                            



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                                       CONSENT


          Bill No:  AB 782
          Author:   Bocanegra (D)
          Amended:  6/19/13 in Senate
          Vote:     21


           SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE  :  11-0, 6/25/13
          AYES:  Wright, Nielsen, Berryhill, Calderon, Cannella, Correa,  
            De León, Galgiani, Hernandez, Lieu, Padilla

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  70-0, 5/16/13 (Consent) - See last page for  
            vote


           SUBJECT  :    Alcoholic beverage control:  licensees:  returns

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill adds a new provision to the Alcoholic  
          Beverage Control Act (ABC Act) that authorizes a licensed  
          caterer who has obtained a caterer's event permit to return  
          unsold beer to the beer distributor or manufacturer for credit,  
          thereby eliminating the need for a beer distributor or  
          manufacturer to continuously exchange out-of-code beer involving  
          catered events.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law:

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          1.Permits the return of beer for errors in delivery, health and  
            safety recalls and the identical exchange of out-of-code  
            products.

          2.Authorizes a wholesaler or manufacturer of beer to accept the  
            return of quantities of discontinued or seasonal brands of  
            beer from a retail licensee, provided that the returned beer  
            is exchanged for a quantity of beer of a brand produced or  
            sold by the same manufacturer with a value not greater than  
            the original sales price to the retail licensee of the  
            returned beer.

          3.Allows an alcoholic beverage licensee to accept the return of  
            unsold and unopened beer from an organization that obtains a  
            temporary license.  Additionally, the licensee may credit the  
            account of the organization in an amount not to exceed the  
            original sales price of the returned beer, provided that the  
            beer has been paid for in full.

          4.Authorizes the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)  
            to issue special licenses for the sale of beer or wine on a  
            temporary basis (usually one to three days) for premises  
            temporarily occupied by the licensee for a picnic, social  
            gathering, or similar occasion at a fee equal to the actual  
            cost of issuing the license, but not to exceed $25 per day.   
            ABC may, in its discretion, issue on a temporary basis a daily  
            on-sale general license and the fee for such license is $25  
            per day. 

          5.Defines an "on-sale" license as authorizing the sale of all  
            types of alcoholic beverages: namely, beer, wine and distilled  
            spirits, for consumption on the premises (such as at a  
            restaurant or bar).  An "off-sale" license authorizes the sale  
            of all types of alcoholic beverages for consumption off the  
            premises in original, sealed containers.

          6.Provides that a violation of any of the provisions of the ABC  
            Act, for which another penalty or punishment is not  
            specifically provided, is a misdemeanor.

          This bill adds a new provision to the ABC Act that authorizes a  
          licensed caterer who has obtained a caterer's event permit to  
          return unsold beer to the beer distributor or manufacturer for  
          credit, thereby eliminating the need for a beer distributor or  

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          manufacturer to continuously exchange out-of-code beer involving  
          catered events.  Specifically, this bill:

          1.Permits an on-sale retail licensee, that purchases beer for  
            sale at an event for which a caterer's event permit has been  
            issued by the ABC, to return the unused and unopened beer to  
            the original selling licensee at the conclusion of the catered  
            event or upon expiration of the catering authorization  
            provided the beer was purchased for use or sale only at the  
            event and the on-sale retail licensee does not also provide  
            any beer for use or sale at the event from its permanent  
            licensed premises.

          2.Requires the on-sale retail licensee holding the catering  
            authorization to record and maintain a record of the inventory  
            of all unused and unopened beer to be returned at the  
            conclusion of the catering event.

          3.Requires the original selling licensee to prepare an invoice  
            of the returned beer that references the original sales  
            invoice and also provide the on-sale retail licensee holding  
            the catering authorization a copy of the invoice.

          4.Makes it explicit that any beer returned must be delivered to  
            the original selling licensee at the conclusion of the catered  
            event or upon expiration of the catering authorization. 

          5.Permits the original selling licensee to credit the account of  
            the on-sale retail licensee in an amount not to exceed the  
            original sales price of the returned beer, provided the beer  
            has been paid for in full.

           Background
           
          The author's office points out that oftentimes it is difficult  
          to estimate the amount of beer that will be consumed at an  
          event, which can lead to a situation whereby a caterer has  
          overestimated the amount of beer needed for any particular event  
          and is left with an excess of stock.  If the caterer cannot sell  
          the beer at future events or at its permanently licensed premise  
          and the beer expires or goes "out-of-code," the distributor or  
          manufacturer must exchange the out-of-code beer for fresh beer  
          and bear the cost of fresh inventory and also pay to have the  
          out-of-code beer destroyed.

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           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  7/18/13)

          California Beer and Beverage Distributors

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :   According to the author's office, only  
          specified holders of permanent retail licenses are able to  
          acquire a caterer's permit.  Due to the fact that they are  
          holders of permanent retail licenses, they are ineligible to  
          return unsold and unopened beer to an alcoholic beverage  
          licensee and have their account credited.  This bill is intended  
          to allow a caterer to return unsold and unopened beer to a beer  
          distributor or manufacturer for credit.

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  70-0, 5/16/13
          AYES:  Achadjian, Alejo, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,  
            Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Ian  
            Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley,  
            Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Garcia,  
            Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, Hagman, Hall, Harkey,  
            Roger Hernández, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue,  
            Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Mitchell, Mullin,  
            Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea,  
            V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner,  
            Ting, Torres, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk,  
            Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Allen, Buchanan, Eggman, Beth Gaines, Grove,  
            Holden, Melendez, Morrell, Stone, Vacancy


          MW:ej  8/12/13   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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