SB771 Summary

• Establishes a grocery store wine permit allowing retail stores and supermarkets with at least 10,000 square feet of grocery space in wet territories to sell wine for off-premises consumption.

• Sets tiered permit fees ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 based on building size, with the first $100 of each fee retained by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division and remaining balance directed to the Arkansas Agricultural Marketing Grants Fund.

• Expands eligibility for wine production grants to include fruit growers with at least 20 acres of land cultivated for producing grapes, fruits, berries, or vegetables sold to or used by wineries.

• Permits grocery store wine permittees to conduct tasting events for educational and promotional purposes and requires offering small farm wine for sale, while limiting fuel sales to 35% of gross sales and alcoholic beverage sales to 20% of gross sales.

• Modifies grant payment distribution to account for new grant funds under the grocery store wine permit provision, with separate distribution formulas for standard grants versus new grocery store wine permit funds.