AR HB1970

Allows franchise contracts for retail liquor permits where a permit holder can use another entity's trade name, trademark, service mark, or related characteristic, provided services and goods have no alcohol content

Maintains existing prohibition that no person, firm, or corporation can own more than one retail liquor permit, and each retail liquor premise must have its own separate permit

Permits a person, firm, or corporation to receive reasonable financial benefits from multiple retail liquor permit holders only if such benefits are provided under a franchise contract, limited to no more than 10 franchise agreements per entity

Repeals Arkansas Code § 3-4-301(a)(8), (9), and (10), which previously prohibited permit holders from remunerating other entities with financial interests in other liquor establishments, receiving remuneration from other permit holders, or branding their location with the same name or logo as another liquor permit holder

Declares an emergency effective upon Governor approval, or if neither approved nor vetoed within the veto period, to prevent unfair commerce restrictions and allow investment in franchised liquor businesses