02/14/2007 02:00 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 51                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to recorking, sealing, or packaging of                                                                    
     wine served with a meal and removal of recorked,                                                                           
     sealed, or packaged wine from licensed premises."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JAY  RAMRAS,  sponsor,  introduced HB  51  by                                                                   
stating  that the  current  version of  the  bill omits  beer                                                                   
sampling,  which was included  in last  year's bill,  because                                                                   
the  bill is  about  drinking  less, rather  than  more.   He                                                                   
explained that the  purpose of the bill is  to give consumers                                                                   
an opportunity to drink less because  they can bring home the                                                                   
unconsumed portion of a bottle of wine.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:14:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DOUGLAS   GRIFFIN,   DIRECTOR,   ALCOHOLIC   CONTROL   BOARD,                                                                   
DEPARTMENT OF  PUBLIC SAFETY noted that the  Alcohol Beverage                                                                   
Control (ABC) Board has not taken  a position on the bill and                                                                   
he  is  speaking on  behalf  of  himself.   He  endorsed  the                                                                   
comments  that Representative  Ramras  made.   There are  two                                                                   
public policy  issues: over-consumption  vs. open  container.                                                                   
This  bill would  allow  patrons of  restaurants  to enjoy  a                                                                   
bottle of wine without the need  to consume the entire bottle                                                                   
and therefore  not  worry so much  about being  over the  .08                                                                   
level  of  intoxication.    The bill  would  also  allow  for                                                                   
recorking  the  bottle  to  avoid  open  container  problems.                                                                   
Thirty-four  states  have  legislation   to  deal  with  open                                                                   
containers.  He  termed the bill a worthy effort  to make the                                                                   
roads safer  by reducing  over-consumption and driving  while                                                                   
impaired.  He offered to answer questions.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:18:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Thomas  asked  how   the  bottle   would  be                                                                   
resealed.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
EMILY  STANCLIFF, STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE  JAY RAMRAS  replied                                                                   
that recorking  the bottle is  one method, tamper-proof  bags                                                                   
another.   The ABC  Board would determine  the methods  to be                                                                   
used.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer   noted  the   zero  fiscal  note   from  the                                                                   
Department of Public Safety.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker MOVED to  REPORT HB 52 out of committee                                                                   
with  individual recommendations  and  the accompanying  zero                                                                   
fiscal note.  There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:20:47 PM