Act No. 43

Public Acts of 2014

Approved by the Governor

March 25, 2014

Filed with the Secretary of State

March 25, 2014

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 25, 2014

STATE OF MICHIGAN

97TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2014

Introduced by Reps. MacGregor, Yonker, VerHeulen, Cotter, Jacobsen, Haugh, Kelly and Schor

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4710

AN ACT to amend 1998 PA 58, entitled “An act to create a commission for the control of the alcoholic beverage traffic within this state, and to prescribe its powers, duties, and limitations; to provide for powers and duties for certain state departments and agencies; to impose certain taxes for certain purposes; to provide for the control of the alcoholic liquor traffic within this state and to provide for the power to establish state liquor stores; to prohibit the use of certain devices for the dispensing of alcoholic vapor; to provide for the care and treatment of alcoholics; to provide for the incorporation of farmer cooperative wineries and the granting of certain rights and privileges to those cooperatives; to provide for the licensing and taxation of activities regulated under this act and the disposition of the money received under this act; to prescribe liability for retail licensees under certain circumstances and to require security for that liability; to provide procedures, defenses, and remedies regarding violations of this act; to provide for the enforcement and to prescribe penalties for violations of this act; to provide for allocation of certain funds for certain purposes; to provide for the confiscation and disposition of property seized under this act; to provide referenda under certain circumstances; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” by amending section 603 (MCL 436.1603), as amended by 2011 PA 298.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 603. (1) Except as provided in subsections (6) to (14) and section 605, a supplier, warehouser, or wholesaler shall not have any direct or indirect financial interest in the establishment, maintenance, operation, or promotion of the business of any other vendor.

(2) Except as provided in subsections (6) to (14) and section 605, a supplier, warehouser, or wholesaler or a stockholder of a supplier, warehouser, or wholesaler shall not have any direct or indirect interest by ownership in fee, leasehold, mortgage, or otherwise in the establishment, maintenance, operation, or promotion of the business of any other vendor.

(3) Except as provided in subsections (6) to (14) and section 605, a supplier, warehouser, or wholesaler shall not have any direct or indirect interest by interlocking directors in a corporation or by interlocking stock ownership in a corporation in the establishment, maintenance, operation, or promotion of the business of any other vendor.

(4) Except as provided in subsections (6) to (14) and section 605, a person shall not buy the stocks of a supplier, warehouser, or wholesaler and place the stock in any portfolio under an arrangement, written trust agreement, or form of investment trust agreement, issue participating shares based upon the portfolio, trust agreement, or investment trust agreement, and sell the participating shares within this state.

(5) The commission may approve a brandy manufacturer or small distiller to sell brandy and spirits made by that brandy manufacturer or small distiller in a restaurant for consumption on or off the premises if the restaurant is owned by the brandy manufacturer or small distiller or operated by another person under an agreement approved by the commission and is located on premises where the brandy manufacturer or small distiller is licensed. Brandy and spirits sold for consumption off the premises under this subsection shall be sold at the uniform price established by the commission.

(6) The commission shall allow a small distiller to sell brands of spirits it manufactures for consumption on the licensed premises at that distillery.

(7) A brewpub may have an interest in up to 5 other brewpubs if the combined production of all the locations in which the brewpub has an interest does not exceed 18,000 barrels of beer per calendar year.

(8) This section does not prohibit a supplier from having any direct or indirect interest in any other supplier.

(9) The commission may approve the following under R 436.1023(3) of the Michigan administrative code, subject to the written approval of the United States department of treasury, bureau of alcohol and tobacco tax and trade:

(a) A wine maker participating with 1 or more wine makers in an alternating proprietor operation in accordance with 27 CFR 24.136.

(b) A brewer participating with 1 or more brewers in an alternating proprietor operation in accordance with 27 CFR 25.52.

(10) A manufacturer shall not have any direct or indirect interest in a wholesaler.

(11) A wine maker shall not collectively deliver wine, with any other wine maker, to retail licensees.

(12) Except in the case of a licensed warehouser, all licensees in this state shall be separated into 3 distinct and independent tiers composed of the following:

(a) Supplier tier, comprising suppliers.

(b) Wholesaler tier, comprising wholesalers.

(c) Retailer tier, comprising retailers.

(13) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (14), beginning April 30, 2011, the commission shall not allow any of the following:

(a) A retailer to hold, directly or indirectly, a license in the wholesaler or supplier tier.

(b) A wholesaler to hold, directly or indirectly, a license in the retailer or supplier tier.

(c) A supplier to hold, directly or indirectly, a license in the wholesaler or retailer tier.

(14) Subsection (13) shall not be interpreted in a manner that would prohibit a class C, tavern, class A hotel, or class B hotel licensee from receiving a brewpub license or that would prohibit a micro brewer or brewer from having an on-site restaurant.

(15) As used in this section:

(a) “Manufacturer” means, notwithstanding section 109(1), a wine maker, small wine maker, brewer, micro brewer, manufacturer of spirits, distiller, small distiller, brandy manufacturer, mixed spirit drink manufacturer, direct shipper, or a person licensed by the commission to perform substantially similar functions.

(b) “Supplier” means a manufacturer, mixed spirit drink manufacturer, outstate seller of beer, outstate seller of wine, outstate seller of mixed spirit drink, and vendor of spirits or a person licensed by the commission to perform substantially similar functions but does not include a master distributor.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless all of the following bills of the 97th Legislature are enacted into law:

(a) Senate Bill No. 504.

(b) Senate Bill No. 505.

(c) Senate Bill No. 506.

(d) Senate Bill No. 507.

(e) Senate Bill No. 650.

(f) House Bill No. 4709.

(g) House Bill No. 4711.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor