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                                 HOUSE AMENDED
        PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1007, 1505, 1532,        PRINTER'S NO. 1767
        1630

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 926 Session of 1997


        INTRODUCED BY BRIGHTBILL, AFFLERBACH, EARLL, PICCOLA, HART,
           THOMPSON, WOZNIAK, HECKLER AND O'PAKE, APRIL 16, 1997

        AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON LIQUOR CONTROL, HOUSE OF
           REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 16, 1998

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled, as
     2     reenacted, "An act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and
     3     malt and brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating
     4     and changing the laws relating thereto; regulating and
     5     restricting the manufacture, purchase, sale, possession,
     6     consumption, importation, transportation, furnishing, holding
     7     in bond, holding in storage, traffic in and use of alcoholic
     8     liquors, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages and the
     9     persons engaged or employed therein; defining the powers and
    10     duties of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; providing
    11     for the establishment and operation of State liquor stores,
    12     for the payment of certain license fees to the respective
    13     municipalities and townships, for the abatement of certain
    14     nuisances and, in certain cases, for search and seizure
    15     without warrant; prescribing penalties and forfeitures;
    16     providing for local option, and repealing existing laws,"
    17     providing for alcoholic cider; further providing for
    18     breweries and for limited wineries; providing for              <--
    19     construction and applicability; and making repeals.

    20     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    21  hereby enacts as follows:
    22     Section 1.  The definition of "malt or brewed beverages" in
    23  section 102 of the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known
    24  as the Liquor Code, reenacted and amended June 29, 1987 (P.L.32,


     1  No.14), is amended and the section is amended by adding a
     2  definition to read:
     3     Section 102.  Definitions.--The following words or phrases,
     4  unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, shall have the
     5  meanings ascribed to them in this section:
     6     * * *
     7     "Alcoholic cider" shall mean a beverage which may contain
     8  carbonation in an amount not to exceed three hundred ninety-two
     9  one thousandths (.392) of a gram per one hundred (100)
    10  milliliters and flavors, produced through alcoholic fermentation
    11  of only apples or apple juice, consisting of at least one-half
    12  of one (.5%) per centum, but not greater than five and one-half   <--
    13  (5.5%) NO MORE THAN SIX (6%) per centum, alcohol by volume and    <--
    14  sold or offered for sale as alcoholic cider and not as a wine, a
    15  wine product, or as a substitute for wine, in bottles, cases,
    16  kegs, cans or other suitable containers of the type used for the
    17  sale of malt or brewed beverages in this Commonwealth.
    18     * * *
    19     "Malt or Brewed Beverages" [means] shall mean any beer, lager
    20  beer, ale, porter or similar fermented malt beverage containing
    21  one-half of one (.5%) per centum or more of alcohol by volume,
    22  by whatever name such beverage may be called, and shall mean
    23  alcoholic cider.
    24     * * *
    25     Section 2.  Section 446(2) of the act is amended to read:      <--
    26     Section 446.  Breweries.--Holders of a brewery license may:
    27     * * *
    28     (2)  Operate a restaurant or brewery pub on the licensed
    29  premises under such conditions and regulations as the board may
    30  enforce[.]: Provided, however, That sales on Sunday may be made
    19970S0926B1767                  - 2 -

     1  between the hours of one o'clock postmeridian and ten o'clock
     2  postmeridian, irrespective of the volume of food sales if the
     3  licensed premises are at a stadium or arena location.
     4     * * *
     5     Section 3 2.  Section 505.2 of the act, amended April 29,      <--
     6  1994 (P.L.212, No.30) and May 31, 1996 (P.L.312, No.49), is
     7  amended to read:
     8     Section 505.2.  Limited Wineries.--In the interest of
     9  promoting tourism and recreational development in Pennsylvania,
    10  holders of a limited winery license may:
    11     (1)  Produce alcoholic ciders, wines and wine coolers only
    12  from fruits grown in Pennsylvania in an amount not to exceed two
    13  hundred thousand (200,000) gallons per year.
    14     (2)  Sell alcoholic cider, wine and wine coolers produced by
    15  the limited winery or purchased in bulk in bond from another
    16  Pennsylvania limited winery on the licensed premises, under such
    17  conditions and regulations as the board may enforce, to the
    18  board, to individuals and to hotel, restaurant, club and public
    19  service liquor licensees, and to Pennsylvania winery licensees:
    20  Provided, That a limited winery shall not, in any calendar year,
    21  purchase alcoholic cider or wine produced by other limited
    22  wineries in an amount in excess of fifty (50%) per centum of the
    23  alcoholic cider or wine produced by the purchasing limited
    24  winery in the preceding calendar year.
    25     (3)  Separately or in conjunction with other limited
    26  wineries, sell alcoholic cider, wine and wine coolers produced
    27  by the limited winery on no more than five (5) board-approved
    28  locations other than the licensed premises, with no bottling or
    29  production requirement at those additional board-approved
    30  locations and under such conditions and regulations as the board
    19970S0926B1767                  - 3 -

     1  may enforce, to the board, to individuals and to hotel,
     2  restaurant, club and public service liquor licensees.
     3     (4)  At the discretion of the board, obtain a special [wine]
     4  permit to participate in alcoholic cider, wine and food
     5  expositions off the licensed premises. A special [wine] permit
     6  shall be issued upon proper application and payment of a fee of
     7  thirty dollars ($30) per day for each day of permitted use, not
     8  to exceed five (5) consecutive days. A limited winery may not
     9  obtain more than five (5) special [wine] permits in any calendar
    10  year. The total number of days for all the special permits may
    11  not exceed ten (10) days in any calendar year. A special [wine]
    12  permit shall entitle the holder to engage in the sale of
    13  alcoholic cider or wine produced by the bottle or in case lots
    14  by the permittee under the authority of a limited winery
    15  license. Holders of special [wine] permits may provide tasting
    16  samples of wines in individual portions not to exceed one (1)
    17  fluid ounce. Samples at alcoholic cider, wine and food
    18  expositions may be sold or offered free of charge. Except as
    19  provided herein, limited wineries utilizing special [wine]
    20  permits shall be governed by all applicable provisions of this
    21  act as well as by all applicable regulations or conditions
    22  adopted by the board.
    23     For the purposes of this clause, "alcoholic cider, wine and
    24  food expositions" are defined as affairs held indoors or
    25  outdoors with the primary intent of educating those in
    26  attendance of the availability, nature and quality of
    27  Pennsylvania-produced alcoholic ciders and wines in conjunction
    28  with suitable food displays, demonstrations and sales. [Wine]
    29  Alcoholic cider, wine and food expositions may also include
    30  activities other than alcoholic cider, wine and food displays,
    19970S0926B1767                  - 4 -

     1  including arts and crafts, musical activities, cultural
     2  exhibits, agricultural exhibits and similar activities.
     3     (5)  Apply for and hold a hotel liquor license, a restaurant
     4  liquor license or a malt and brewed beverages retail license to
     5  sell for consumption at the restaurant or limited winery on the
     6  licensed winery premises, liquor, wine and malt or brewed
     7  beverages regardless of the place of manufacture under the same
     8  conditions and regulations as any other hotel liquor license,
     9  restaurant liquor license or malt and brewed beverages retail
    10  license.
    11     Section 4 3.  The act is amended by adding an article to       <--
    12  read:
    13                             ARTICLE X.
    14                     MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
    15     Section 1001.  Construction and Applicability.--(a)  Except
    16  as provided in subsection (b), unless the context clearly
    17  indicates otherwise, a reference to "malt or brewed beverages"
    18  in a statute shall be construed to include alcoholic cider.
    19     (b)  Regardless of context, a reference to "malt or brewed
    20  beverages" in Article XX of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6,
    21  No.2), known as the "Tax Reform Code of 1971," shall be
    22  construed to include alcoholic cider.
    23     (c)  Except as provided in subsection (d), unless the context
    24  clearly indicates otherwise, a reference to "wine" in a statute
    25  shall be construed to exclude alcoholic cider.
    26     (d)  Regardless of context, a reference to "wine" in the act
    27  of December 5, 1933 (Sp.Sess., P.L.38, No.6), known as the
    28  "Spirituous and Vinous Liquor Tax Law," shall be construed to
    29  exclude alcoholic cider.
    30     Section 5 4.  The following acts and parts of acts are         <--
    19970S0926B1767                  - 5 -

     1  repealed insofar as they are inconsistent with this act:
     2     Act of December 5, 1933 (Sp.Sess., P.L.38, No.6), known as
     3  the Spirituous and Vinous Liquor Tax Law.
     4     Article XX of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known
     5  as the Tax Reform Code of 1971.
     6     Section 6 5.  Pennsylvania Liquor Stores may continue to sell  <--
     7  alcoholic cider within its inventory after the effective date of
     8  this act, until the alcoholic cider within its current inventory
     9  is depleted. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board shall not
    10  purchase additional alcoholic cider after the effective date of
    11  this act.
    12     Section 7 6.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.           <--












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