SB315 Summary

• Amends Section 28-3A-20.4 of the Code of Alabama 1975 to allow nonprofit organizations, municipalities, counties, and incorporated arts councils to apply for wine festival licenses, in addition to existing eligible entities.

• Wine festival licenses require application at least 25 days in advance with a fee not exceeding $50, authorizing the licensee to host festivals where wine festival participant licensees may dispense tastings and sell wine for on-premises or off-premises consumption.

• Wine festivals may not operate for more than five consecutive days, and wine festival participant licensees may not sell more than one case (equivalent of 12 750-milliliter bottles) of wine to any individual per festival.

• Each wine festival participant licensee must collect and remit all state and local sales taxes and state excise taxes on wine sales, with the wine festival licensee responsible for remitting county and local taxes to appropriate bodies within seven days of the festival's conclusion.

• Eliminates licensing fee requirements and relaxed application procedures for existing board licensees, prohibits restrictions on serving food at festivals, and exempts participant licensees from purchasing county or municipal business licenses if the festival licensee complies with registration requirements.