BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 192|
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                                    CONSENT


          Bill No:  SB 192
          Author:   Negrete McLeod (D)
          Amended:  As introduced
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE  :  13-0, 4/14/09
          AYES:  Wright, Harman, Benoit, Calderon, Denham, Florez,  
            Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Padilla, Romero, Wiggins,  
            Wyland, Yee


           SUBJECT  :    Alcoholic beverages:  returns

           SOURCE  :     California Beer and Beverage Distributors


           DIGEST  :    This bill adds a new provision to the Alcoholic  
          Beverage Control Act that permits the return of unsold and  
          unopened beer from an organization that obtained a  
          temporary license.

           ANALYSIS  :    

           Existing Law
           
          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  
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             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. Authorizes the 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.  Also, under existing law, ABC may,  
             in its discretion, issue on a temporary basis a daily  
             on-sale general license and the fee for such license  
             shall be $25 per day.

          This bill:

          1. Authorizes an alcoholic beverage licensee to accept the  
             return of unsold and unopened beer from an organization  
             that has obtained a temporary daily license.

          2. Permits the licensee to 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.

          3. Adds clarity to an existing provision of law relating to  
             the reintroduction of discontinued/seasonal brands of  
             beer in the same California market area in which a  
             return and exchange of that beer has taken place.

           Background
           
          According to the author's office, this bill has been  
          introduced on behalf of the California Beer and Beverage  
          Distributors, whose members have experienced increasing  
          demands to accept the return of unsold or unopened beer  
          from nonprofit organizations that are the holders of  
          temporary on-sale licenses (issued for special events,  
          fundraisers, parties, etc.).  Currently, holders of such  
          licenses may choose to keep the unopened and unused beer  
          for a future event for which another temporary license may  
          be issued. However, they have no legal option to sell or  







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          dispose of the beer in their possession at the expiration  
          of their daily license.  This bill permits the return of  
          unsold and unopened beer by daily licensees to the licensee  
          from whom the beer was purchased.

           Prior/Related legislation
           
           AB 3071 (Assembly Governmental Organization Committee),  
          Chapter 508, Statutes of 2008  .  Among other things,  
          authorized beer that is recalled for health or safety  
          issues to be accepted for return at anytime from a retailer  
          and be picked up by the seller of beer.  Also, permitted  
          the seller of beer to exchange the returned beer for  
          identical product, issue a deferred exchange memorandum  
          showing the beer was picked-up and is to be replaced when  
          inventory is available, or issue a credit to the retailer  
          for the returned beer.  

           SB 1035 (Perata), Chapter 657, Statutes of 2001  .  Allowed a  
          person in possession of a stock of lawfully acquired  
          alcoholic beverages following the revocation or voluntary  
          surrender of, or failure to renew, an alcoholic beverage  
          license to sell that stock to licensees, as authorized by  
          the Department of ABC.

           SB 452 (Maddy), Chapter 273, Statutes of 1998  .  Among other  
          things, authorized a wholesaler or manufacturer of beer to  
          accept the return 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.

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

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  4/15/09)

          California Beer and Beverage Distributors (source)


          TSM:do  4/15/09   Senate Floor Analyses 








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                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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