CA AB344

Expands the definition of "successor beer manufacturer" to include any person (licensed or unlicensed), not just beer manufacturers, who acquires rights to manufacture, import, or distribute a beer product

Requires successor beer manufacturers who cancel an existing wholesaler's distribution rights to notify the wholesaler and negotiate fair market value compensation for those rights

Mandates binding arbitration in California if parties cannot agree on fair market value within 30 days, with specific procedural requirements including discovery timelines and a 180-day hearing deadline

Existing beer wholesalers retain distribution rights until they receive agreed-upon or arbitration-awarded compensation

Creates a state-mandated local program by expanding which entities are subject to existing misdemeanor penalties for violations of successor beer manufacturer requirements