STAND. COM. REP. NO.  449

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 770

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 770 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTOXICATING LIQUOR,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to amend the State's liquor laws to:

 

     (1)  Allow restaurants and retail dealers with a liquor license to sell beer, malt beverages, wine, or cider for off-premises consumption, under certain circumstances; and

 

     (2)  Authorize brewpubs and small craft producer pubs with a liquor license to sell for off-premises consumption malt beverages purchased from another liquor licensee.

 

     The Hawaii Food Industry Association and Whole Foods Market testified in support of this measure.  The Wine Institute testified in opposition to this measure.  The Liquor Commission of the City and County of Honolulu provided comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that a Class 2, restaurant licensee, must hold the appropriate license to sell beer, malt beverages, or cider for off-premises consumption;

 

     (2)  Removing wine from the types of liquor that a restaurant or retail dealer with a liquor license, or a class 10 special license holder, can sell for off-premises consumption;

 

     (3)  Clarifying that retail dealers with a liquor license may sell beer, malt beverages, or cider in non-original packages, under certain circumstances; and

 

     (4)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 770, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 770, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair