A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct the legislative research commission to study the alcoholic beverage control laws in this state.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Study. – The Legislative Research Commission (LRC) shall study revising the laws set forth in Chapter 18B of the General Statutes governing the manufacturing, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in this State. The study required under this section shall include all of the following:
(1)	A comparative analysis on how the federal government and other states regulate the manufacturing, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages, including how the federal government and other states regulate the labeling of alcoholic beverages, the distribution of alcoholic beverages, and the assortment of alcoholic beverages that may be manufactured, sold, possessed, or consumed.
(2)	A comparative analysis on how other states (i) regulate the sale of spirituous liquor, (ii) define and regulate alcohol consumables, (iii) define and issue permits for the manufacturing or sale of alcoholic beverages, and (iv) define and regulate periods of the day in which alcoholic beverages may be sold for on‑premises consumption at a reduced price.
(3)	All of the following:
a.	The advisability and necessity of expanding and clarifying the definition set forth in G.S. 18B‑101 for the term "premises."
b.	How to modify the process used for determining which spirituous liquor products may be sold in ABC stores to allow for more selection.
c.	How the process for issuing permits pursuant to Chapter 18B of the General Statutes can be streamlined.
d.	The feasibility and advisability of allowing malt beverages and wine wholesalers to offer the same payment terms the wholesalers receive from the manufacturing tier.
e.	The feasibility and advisability of allowing mixed beverages permittees the option of purchasing spirituous liquor directly from an in‑State distillery if the local ABC board refuses to purchase spirituous liquor from the distillery.
f.	The feasibility and advisability of expanding the usage of signage and other advertising by permittees to promote the sale of alcoholic beverages.
g.	The advisability and necessity of allowing malt beverages wholesalers to exchange a seasonal malt beverage product for another seasonal malt beverage product when the first seasonal product is about to go out of date.
h.	The advisability and necessity of amending the law requiring wholesalers to serve permittees without discrimination to (i) expand it to prohibit age, race, gender, national origin, and economic discrimination and (ii) allow a permittee within a franchise territory to purchase product outside the franchise territory if the wholesaler refuses to sell to the permittee.
i.	The feasibility of setting the amount of fines assessed by the Commission for violations of the ABC laws, as defined in G.S. 18B‑101, based either on the value of alcohol sales made by the offending permittee or on the volume of alcohol sold by the offending permittee. The study required under this sub‑subdivision shall include an examination of the opportunities and challenges arising from the implementation of either approach, the resources needed for implementing either approach, any ramifications either approach would have on the proportionality of penalties assessed on offending permittees, and any legislative changes necessary to implement either approach.
j.	The feasibility and advisability of limiting the frequency of shelf resets that a malt beverage or wine wholesaler may perform each year for a licensed retailer, the times during which such resets may occur, and the number of wholesaler employee hours that can be provided during a reset.
k.	The feasibility and advisability of a malt beverage or wine wholesaler offering discounted pricing to a licensed retailer on the condition that the retail price for the consumer is discounted by the same amount in the entire market designated for the promotion.
l.	The feasibility and advisability of limiting the frequency of draft line cleaning services that a malt beverage wholesaler may provide each year for a licensed retailer, and the times during which those services may occur.
m.	Any other matters the LRC deems relevant to its efforts.
SECTION 2.  Report. – The LRC shall report its findings, together with any proposed legislation, to the 2022 Regular Session of the 2021 General Assembly upon its convening.
SECTION 3.  Effective Date. – This act is effective when it becomes law.