FL H0423

Amends Florida law to create an exemption allowing malt beverage manufacturers or importers to enter into brand naming rights agreements with vendors at theme parks of at least 25 contiguous acres with 1 million annual paid admission visitors.

Brand naming rights agreements must be negotiated at arm's length for fair market value and cannot involve the sale or distribution of malt beverages between the manufacturer/importer and vendor.

Vendor must file agreement description with the division at least 90 days in advance and cannot give preferential treatment to the naming rights brand; distributor cannot pay any portion of the agreement.

Violation penalties include 7-day license suspension and fines equal to the agreement value for vendors and manufacturers/importers, plus 30-day brand registration suspension for the affected brand.

Coercion or illegal inducement of distributor payments is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months jail, fine equal to agreement value plus $10,000, or both; effective July 1, 2017.