An Act To Facilitate Weekend Malt Liquor Purchases by Licensed Establishments
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 28-A MRSA §1201, sub-§3-B is enacted to read:
3-B. Weekend sale of malt liquor to on-premises retailers. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Title to the contrary, a retailer licensed under this section for off-premises consumption may sell and deliver malt liquor to a retailer licensed under section 1051 for on-premises consumption on the weekend during the authorized hours for the wholesale sale and delivery of liquor set forth in section 4, subsection 1, paragraph D under the following conditions:
A. The retailer licensed for on-premises consumption shall provide immediate notification in a form prescribed by the bureau by the 2nd business day after making a purchase under this subsection;
B. The retailer licensed for on-premises consumption shall provide immediate notification to the wholesaler licensed under section 1401 that supplies malt liquor to that retailer that the retailer purchased malt liquor from an off-premises licensee in the wholesaler's assigned territory;
C. The retailer licensed for on-premises consumption may not purchase more than 10 gallons of malt liquor on a single weekend and shall purchase the malt liquor from a retailer licensed for off-premises consumption that is located in the same sales territory as the wholesaler licensed under section 1401 that supplies malt liquor to the retailer licensed for on-premises consumption;
D. The requirements of section 705, subsection 1 apply to purchases of malt liquor under this subsection; and
E. The retailer licensed for on-premises consumption may not purchase malt liquor under this subsection on more than 2 weekends in a single calendar year.
For the purposes of this subsection, "weekend" means the time period between 4:00 p.m. Friday and midnight Sunday.
Sec. 2. Rulemaking. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations shall, as soon as practicable, amend its rule Chapter 101: Operation and Control of All Licensed Premises, section 15 to permit on-premises retail licensees to purchase malt liquor from off-premises retail licensees during weekend hours in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 28-A, section 1201, subsection 3-B.
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.