New York Senate Bill S00409

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25
• Engrossed: 6/12/25
• Refer: 6/13/25
• Engrossed: 6/17/25

Caption

Permits on-premises retail licensees to purchase wine and liquor from off-premises retail licensees and off-premises retail licensees to purchase wine and liquor from on-premises retail licensees.

Impact

This bill is expected to facilitate a greater fluidity in the flow of alcohol sales between different types of retail operations. By enabling on-premises retailers to source their alcoholic beverages directly from off-premises retailers, it could alleviate some supply chain constraints and enhance customer service experiences by enabling diverse selection. However, the bill retains specific compliance measures, such as requiring both parties to keep purchase receipts for possible inspections by state liquor authorities.

Summary

S00409 seeks to amend the New York alcoholic beverage control law, specifically to allow retail licensees for on-premises consumption to purchase wine and liquor from off-premises retail licensees. The quantifiable allowance is set to six bottles of wine or liquor per week, which the retail licensees can subsequently resell for consumption at their locations. Similarly, off-premises retail licensees will be authorized to sell the same quantity of alcohol to those retail licensees catering to on-premises consumption.

Contention

Potential points of contention could arise around the implications of expanded sales capabilities between these categories of retail licensees. Critics may argue that this change could lead to increases in alcohol availability, raising concerns related to public health and safety, especially in jurisdictions that have strict regulations on alcohol sales. Furthermore, the implementation of the new rules may place additional oversight demands on the state liquor authority regarding record-keeping and inspections.