HB 1600 Summary

• Brings forward all sections of the Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act (Mississippi Code §67-7-1 through §67-7-23) for possible amendment.

• Establishes prohibitions on suppliers including: price-fixing, entering duplicate agreements in the same territory, requiring unordered products, restricting wholesaler brand choices, and taking retaliatory actions against complainants.

• Requires suppliers to provide 30 days written notice before terminating or modifying wholesaler agreements, with specified grounds for "good cause" termination and allowances for immediate termination in cases of insolvency, license revocation, felony conviction, or fraud.

• Allows wholesalers to transfer their business to designated family members without supplier approval, or to other qualified transferees meeting the supplier's nondiscriminatory standards, with supplier responses limited to 30 days.

• Provides for compensation to wholesalers for diminished business value through binding arbitration if supplier violates the act, and allows parties to recover actual damages, court costs, and attorney fees.