Senate Bill 2228 Summary

• Authorizes wine manufacturers and licensed wine sellers to obtain a "direct wine shipper's permit" from the Department of Revenue to sell and ship wine directly to Mississippi residents without going through the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division.

• Requires direct wine shippers to maintain records, label containers with age verification warnings, report annual sales by type, and limits sales to 24 nine-liter cases per individual per year; prohibits shipping to dry counties.

• Establishes a $100 annual privilege tax for direct wine shipper's permits and levies a 15.5% excise tax on all wine sales made by direct shippers, with a portion deposited into the Mental Health Programs Fund.

• Restricts purchases to persons age 21 or older and limits wine to personal consumption only; prohibits sale of beer, light wine, or other alcoholic beverages through direct shipping.

• Amends existing alcoholic beverage statutes to carve out exceptions for direct wine shippers regarding transportation requirements, invoice filing, and solicitation prohibitions.