Transportation, Environment Committees advance farm, winery-related bills

Outside the House chamber, the legislative Transportation and Environment Committees, respectively, just approved bills to use roadside signage to designate nearby farms; and allow farm wineries to sell off-site seven times a year. It was fairly excruciating to try to hear the committee proceedings amid the hustle and bustle of lobbyists and visitors. Fortunately, ranking Republicans on the committee also approved the bills, which head to the Senate. Here are the summaries:

AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN FARM-RELATED DESIGNATIONS ON HIGHWAY SIGNS.

SUMMARY:

This bill permits the transportation commissioner to authorize placement of a sign within 300 feet of a state highway that includes directions and other official notices relating to farming and state agriculture tourism. By law, anyone erecting a sign without the commissioner’s approval can be fined up to $100 for the first offense and up to $500 for each subsequent offense.

EFFECTIVE DATE: On passage.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN OFF-SITE FARM WINERY SALES AND TASTING PERMIT.

SUMMARY:

This bill creates an off-site farm winery sales and tasting permit that allows farm winery permittees to sell bottles of wine and offer free wine samples manufactured on the farm at up to seven off-site events or functions per year (see COMMENT). The off-site farm winery sales permittee may offer these sales and tastings at events held by temporary liquor, charitable organization, or nonprofit permittees. These temporary or daily liquor permits allow noncommercial, charitable, and nonprofit organizations to sell alcohol at their events.

Before an off-site farm winery sales and tasting permittee holds an off-site tasting or wine sale, he or she must notify the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), on a commissioner-prescribed form, and five days or more in advance, of the date, hours, and location of each event or function. The permittee or authorized representative must be present whenever any bottle of wine is sold or a free sample is offered.

Under the bill, the DCP commissioner must issue an off-site farm winery sales and tasting permit to a farm winery permittee who submits proof that he or she is complying with the farm winery statutes. The permit is valid for one year and has a $250 annual fee with a $100 nonrefundable filing fee. (It is unclear whether the nonrefundable filing fee must be paid annually.)

Any town or municipality may prohibit the selling of bottles of wine or offering of free wine samples by a holder of an off-site farm winery sales permit through an ordinance or zoning regulation.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2014

COMMENT

Holding Two Liquor Permits

The law prohibits holders of one class of permit from also holding another of class of permit, unless they are specifically allowed by statute to do so (CGS § 30-48(a)).

For example, the holder of a manufacturing class permit cannot also hold a retail class permit.

COMMITTEE ACTION