Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1044 Latest Draft

Bill / Amended Version Filed 02/24/2025

                             
 
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SENATE FLOOR VERSION 
February 20, 2025 
 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
FOR 
SENATE BILL NO. 1044 	By: Coleman 
 
 
 
 
 
[ alcoholic beverages - wine and spirits wholesaler 
license - payment methods - electronic funds transfer 
- exceptions - penalty - effective date ] 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     37A O.S. 2021, Section 2 -107, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 2-107.  A.  A wine and spirits wholesaler license shall 
authorize the holder thereof : 
1.  To purchase and import into this state spirits and wines 
from persons authorized to sell same who are the holders of a 
manufacturer or nonresident seller license, and their agents who are 
the holders of manufacturer ’s agent licenses; 
2.  To purchase spirits and wines from licensed distillers, 
rectifiers and winemakers in this state; 
3.  To purchase spirits and wines from licensed wholesalers, to 
the extent set forth in subsections B and C of this section;   
 
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4.  To sell in retail containers in this state to retailers, 
mixed beverage, caterer, special event, public event, hotel beverage 
or airline/railroad beverage licensees, spirits and wines which have 
been received and unloaded at the bonded warehouse facilities of the 
wholesaler before such sale; 
5.  To sell to licensed wholesalers, to the extent set forth in 
subsections B and C of this section, spirits and wines which have 
been received and unloaded at the bonded warehouse facilities of the 
wholesaler before such sale; 
6.  To sell spirits and wines out of this state to qualified 
persons; and 
7.  To sell to licensed distillers spirits that were 
manufactured by that distiller and which have been received and 
unloaded at a bonded warehouse facility of a wholesaler before such 
sale. 
Provided, however, sales of spirits and wine in containers with 
a capacity of less than one -twentieth (1/20) gallon by a holder of a 
wholesaler license shall be in full case lots and in the original 
unbroken case.  Wholesalers shall be authorized to place such signs 
outside their place of business as are required by Acts of Congress 
and by such laws and regulations promulgated under such Acts. 
B.  A wholesaler may sell spirits and wine to other wholesalers 
or purchase spirits and wines from other wholesalers without 
complying with subsection A of this section in the case of the sale,   
 
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purchase or other transfer or acquisition of the entire business of 
a wholesaler including the inventory of spirits and wine. 
C.  A wholesaler license shall authorize the holder thereof to : 
1.  Maintain maintain not more than three (3) self-owned or 
leased and self-operated bonded warehouses within this state.  All 
invoices shall be stored at the principal place of business for 
which the wholesaler license was granted ; and 
2.  Accept as payment cas h, personal check, cashier ’s check, 
money order or electronic fund transfer from persons licensed to 
purchase alcoholic beverages; provided, a wholesaler shall not be 
permitted to accept payment by credit card . 
SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY     37 A O.S. 2021, Section 3 -119, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 3-119.  A. It shall be unlawful for any manufacturer, 
brewer, wine and spirits wholesaler, beer distributor or person 
authorized to sell alcoholic beverages to a wholesaler, or any 
employee, officer, director, stockholder owning fifteen percent 
(15%) or more of the stock, any type of partner, manager, member or 
agent thereof, to directly or indirectly: 
1.  Have any financial interest in any premises upon which any 
alcoholic beverage is sold at retail or in any business connected 
with the retailing of alcoholic beverages; provided, nothing in this 
act Section 1-101 et seq. of this title shall prohibit the operation 
of a mixed beverage licensee, beer and wine licensee or caterer   
 
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licensee by an entity which has common owners with the holder of a 
small brewer license or a brewpub license; 
2.  Lend any money or other thing of value, or to make any gift 
or offer any gratuity, to any package store, retail wine, retail 
beer, mixed beverage, beer and wine, public event or bottle club 
licensee or caterer; 
3.  Guarantee any loan or the repayment of any financial 
obligation of any retailer, mixed beverage, beer and wine, public 
event or bottle club licensee or caterer; 
4.  Require any wine and spirit s wholesaler, beer distributor, 
retailer, mixed beverage, on -premises beer and wine licensee, public 
event or caterer to purchase and dispose of any quota of alcoholic 
beverages, or to require any retailer to purchase any kind, type, 
size, container or brand of alcoholic beverages in order to obtain 
any other kind, type, size, container or brand of alcoholic 
beverages; 
5.  Sell to any retailer, mixed beverage, on -premises beer and 
wine licensee, public event or caterer any alcoholic beverage on 
consignment, or upon condition, or with the privilege of return, or 
on any condition other than a bona fide sale; provided, the 
following shall not be considered a violation of this paragraph: 
a. delivery in good faith, through mistake, inadvertence 
or oversight, of an alc oholic beverage that was not 
ordered by a retailer, mixed beverage licensee, on -  
 
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premises beer and wine licensee, caterer, public event 
or special event licensee to such licensee, 
b. replacement of product breakage that occurred while 
the alcoholic beverages were in transit from the 
wholesaler to the licensee, or 
c. replacement of cork-tainted wine that makes the 
product unsaleable as long as the licensee notifies 
the wine and spirits wholesaler of the defect in 
writing within ninety (90) days after delivery of the 
product; or 
6.  Extend credit to any retailer, other than holders of Federal 
Liquor Stamps on United States government reservations and 
installations, mixed beverage, public event or on -premises beer and 
wine licensee or caterer, other than a state lodge located in a 
county which has approved the retail sale of alcoholic beverages by 
the individual drink for on -premises consumption.  The acceptance of 
a postdated check or draft or the failure to deposit for collection 
a current check or draft by the second banking day after receipt 
shall be deemed an extension of credit.  Violation of this section 
shall be grounds for suspension of the license. 
B.  All payments by a retail beer, retail wine, or retail 
spirits licensee to a beer distributor or a wine and spirits 
wholesaler licensee for the purchase of beer, wine, or spirits may 
be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) payment.  No payment to a   
 
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wholesaler shall be made in cash.  All EFT payments shall comply 
with the following: 
1.  The beer distributo r or wine and spirits wholesaler licensee 
shall initiate the EFT payment transmittal by initiating the 
withdrawal of the funds from the retailer ’s account; 
2.  The EFT payment transmittal to the banking institution shall 
occur no later than the next b anking business day from the date of 
the delivery of the beer, wine, or spirits order to the retailer 
licensee; and 
3.  A single EFT payment may be made to a wholesaler licensee 
making deliveries to multiple locations of a chain retailer on the 
same business day.  The retailer and wholesaler shall maintain a 
store-by-store detailed record to ensure that individual delivery 
invoices may be traced to the EFT payment. 
C.  A wholesaler licensee may accept a check or money order in 
the following instances: 
1.  When accepting payment for a non -sufficient funds EFT 
payment; 
2.  During temporary service interruptions of the third -party 
payment processing company; or 
3.  During the thirty-day period following the issuance of a 
license to a retailer. 
D.  To maintain contro l of its ability to receive payment, the 
wholesaler licensee shall be solely responsible for selecting a   
 
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third-party payment processing company to facilitate the EFT 
payments.  A wholesaler licensee shall not select a third -party 
payment processing co mpany that requires more than thirty (30) days ’ 
notice from the wholesaler licensee to terminate its agreement with 
the third-party payment processing company. 
E. Violation of this section shall be grounds for suspension of 
the license. 
SECTION 3.     AMENDATORY     37A O.S. 2021, Section 6 -103, as 
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 200, O.S.L. 2023 (37A O.S. Supp. 
2024, Section 6-103), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 6-103.  A.  No retail spirits licensee shall: 
1.  Purchase or receive any alcoholic beverage other than from a 
wine and spirits wholesaler, beer distributor, winery or small 
brewer self-distribution licensee who elects to self -distribute; 
2.  Suffer or permit any retail container to be opened, or any 
alcoholic beverage to b e consumed on the licensed premises, except 
when serving samples as authorized by Section 2 -109 of this title or 
otherwise permitted by law; provided, the licensee shall not permit 
any alcoholic beverage content or retail container unsealed in 
connection with sampling authorized by Section 2 -109 of this title 
to remain on the licensed premises at the close of business on that 
day, excluding spirits; 
3.  Sell any alcoholic beverages at any hour other than between 
the hours of 8:00 a.m. and midnight Monday th rough Saturday, and   
 
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shall not be permitted to be open on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas 
Day; provided, a county may, pursuant to the provisions of 
subsections B and C of Section 3 -124 of this title, elect to allow 
such sales between the hours of noon a nd midnight on Sunday.  Retail 
spirits licensees shall be permitted to sell alcoholic beverages on 
the day of any General, Primary, Runoff Primary or Special Election 
whether on a national, state, county or city election, provided that 
the election day does not occur on any day on which such sales are 
otherwise prohibited by law; 
4.  Sell spirits in a city or town, unless such city or town has 
a population in excess of two hundred (200) according to the latest 
Federal Decennial Census; 
5.  Sell any alcoholi c beverage on credit; provided, that 
acceptance by a licensee of a cash or debit card or a nationally 
recognized credit card in lieu of actual cash payment does not 
constitute the extension of credit; provided , further, as used in 
this section: 
a. “cash or debit card” means any instrument or device 
whether known as a debit card or by any other name, 
issued with or without fee by an issuer for the use of 
the cardholder in depositing, obtaining or 
transferring funds from a consumer banking electronic 
facility, and   
 
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b. “nationally recognized credit card ” means any 
instrument or device, whether known as a credit card, 
credit plate, charge plate or by any other name, 
issued with or without fee by an issuer for the use of 
the cardholder in obtaining money, goods, servic es or 
anything else of value on credit which is accepted by 
over one hundred retail locations; or 
6.  Offer or furnish any prize, premium, gift or similar 
inducement to a consumer in connection with the sale of alcoholic 
beverages, except that goods o r merchandise included by the 
manufacturer in packaging with alcoholic beverages or for packaging 
with alcoholic beverages shall not be included in this prohibition, 
but no wholesaler or retailer shall sell any alcoholic beverage 
prepackaged with other goods or merchandise at a price which is 
greater than the price at which the alcoholic beverage alone is 
sold; provided, it shall not be considered inducement or a premium 
for a retail spirits licensee to have an advertised price posted 
higher online than the shelf price on the licensed premises ; or 
7.  Pay for alcoholic beverages by a check or draft which is 
dishonored by the drawee when presented to such drawee for payment; 
and the ABLE Commission may cancel or suspend the license of any 
retailer who has given a check or draft, as maker or endorser, which 
is so dishonored upon presentation .   
 
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B.  No retail spirits licensee shall permit any person under 
twenty-one (21) years of age to enter into or remain within or about 
the licensed premises unless accompanied by the person’s parent or 
legal guardian; provided, however, this restriction shall not apply 
to an employee of a licensed beer distributor or wine and spirits 
wholesaler who: 
1.  Is at least eighteen (18) years of age; 
2.  Is accompanied by a coworker at least twenty-one (21) years 
of age; and 
3.  Enters for the sole purpose of merchandising or delivering 
product to the licensee in the normal course of business. 
SECTION 4.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2025. 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND INSURANCE 
February 20, 2025 - DO PASS AS AMENDED BY CS