SB 985 — An Act amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, in licenses and regulations and liquor, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages, further providing for ready-to-drink cocktail permit, for authority to acquire ready-to-drink cocktail permits, for distributors' and importing distributors' restrictions on sales, storage, etc. and for unlawful acts relative to malt or brewed beverages and licensees.

PRINTER'S NO.   1130

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 985
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY LAUGHLIN, PENNYCUICK AND STEFANO,
        SEPTEMBER 4, 2025

     REFERRED TO LAW AND JUSTICE, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled "An
 2      act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and malt and
 3      brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating and
 4      changing the laws relating thereto; regulating and
 5      restricting the manufacture, purchase, sale, possession,
 6      consumption, importation, transportation, furnishing, holding
 7      in bond, holding in storage, traffic in and use of alcoholic
 8      liquors, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages and the
 9      persons engaged or employed therein; defining the powers and
10      duties of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; providing
11      for the establishment and operation of State liquor stores,
12      for the payment of certain license fees to the respective
13      municipalities and townships, for the abatement of certain
14      nuisances and, in certain cases, for search and seizure
15      without warrant; prescribing penalties and forfeitures;
16      providing for local option, and repealing existing laws," in
17      licenses and regulations and liquor, alcohol and malt and
18      brewed beverages, further providing for ready-to-drink
19      cocktail permit, for authority to acquire ready-to-drink
20      cocktail permits, for distributors' and importing
21      distributors' restrictions on sales, storage, etc. and for
22      unlawful acts relative to malt or brewed beverages and
23      licensees.
24      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
25   hereby enacts as follows:
26      Section 1.    Sections 415.1(d) and (h), 431.2, 441(b)(2), (g)
27   and (h) and 492(13) of the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90,
28   No.21), known as the Liquor Code, amended or added July 17, 2024
 1   (P.L.924, No.86), are amended to read:
 2      Section 415.1.   Ready-to-Drink Cocktail Permit.--* * *
 3      (d)   A restaurant or hotel license holder that is also a
 4   ready-to-drink cocktail permit holder may sell for off-premises
 5   consumption, in a single transaction, up to one hundred ninety-
 6   two fluid ounces. Ounces of ready-to-drink cocktails shall not
 7   be combined with wine or malt or brewed beverages for the
 8   purpose of calculating the sale restrictions applicable to each
 9   of those beverages. A distributor or importing distributor
10   license holder that is also a ready-to-drink cocktail permit
11   holder may sell ready-to-drink cocktails in any quantity. [No
12   ready-to-drink cocktail permit holder may sell ready-to-drink
13   cocktails to a permit or license holder.] A distributor or
14   importing distributor license holder that is also a ready-to-
15   drink cocktail permit holder may sell ready-to-drink cocktails
16   to ready-to-drink cocktail permit holders and licensees of the
17   board.
18      * * *
19      (h)   Holders of a ready-to-drink cocktail permit may also
20   purchase ready-to-drink cocktails directly from a licensed
21   Pennsylvania manufacturer [for the purpose of reselling the
22   ready-to-drink cocktail for off-premises consumption.] or from a
23   holder of a distributor or importing distributor license with a
24   ready-to-drink cocktail permit.
25      * * *
26      Section 431.2.   Authority to Acquire Ready-to-Drink Cocktail
27   Permits.--The holder of a distributor or importing distributor
28   license may acquire a ready-to-drink cocktail permit as set
29   forth in section 415.1. The holder of a ready-to-drink cocktail
30   permit may conduct tastings of ready-to-drink cocktails in

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 1   accordance with the board's regulations pertaining to tastings
 2   for liquor. The ready-to-drink cocktails shall not be subject to
 3   the prohibitions set forth in section 492(13) and (14) which
 4   would otherwise prohibit distributors and importing distributors
 5   from selling, storing, possessing or interacting with liquor.
 6   The ready-to-drink cocktails shall be subject to section 431(b),
 7   (b.1), (c), (d) and (f).
 8      Section 441.   Distributors' and Importing Distributors'
 9   Restrictions on Sales, Storage, Etc.--* * *
10      (b)   * * *
11      (2)   Distributors and importing distributors that hold a
12   ready-to-drink cocktail permit shall be permitted to sell ready-
13   to-drink cocktails in any quantity, and all sales must be in
14   original containers. [Sales of ready-to-drink cocktails are
15   limited to sales to nonlicensees, and sales of ready-to-drink
16   cocktails for subsequent resale are prohibited.]
17      * * *
18      (g)   All malt or brewed beverages and ready-to-drink
19   cocktails purchased by an importing distributor from a
20   Pennsylvania manufacturer of malt or brewed beverages or ready-
21   to-drink cocktails or from any person located outside this
22   Commonwealth for resale shall be invoiced to the importing
23   distributor, shall come physically into the possession of such
24   importing distributor and shall be unloaded into and distributed
25   from the licensed premises of such importing distributor. The
26   board may act to further define and control the storage and
27   distribution of malt or brewed beverages and ready-to-drink
28   cocktails in conformity with this section and this act.
29      (h)   As used in this section, the term "franchise territory"
30   shall mean the geographically contiguous area in which an

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 1   importing distributor has been given rights for the sale or
 2   resale of malt or brewed beverages and ready-to-drink cocktails.
 3      * * *
 4      Section 492.    Unlawful Acts Relative to Malt or Brewed
 5   Beverages and Licensees.--
 6      It shall be unlawful--
 7      * * *
 8      (13)     Possession or Storage of Liquor or Alcohol by Certain
 9   Licensees. For any distributor, importing distributor or retail
10   dispenser, or his servants, agents or employes, to have in his
11   possession, or to permit the storage of on the licensed premises
12   or in any place contiguous or adjacent thereto accessible to the
13   public or used in connection with the operation of the licensed
14   premises, any alcohol or liquor. The provisions of this section
15   shall not apply to the possession or storage of ready-to-drink
16   cocktails that are purchased in compliance with [section 441]
17   this act.
18      * * *
19      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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