Alcoholic beverages: tied-house restrictions.

(1) Existing law, known as tied-house restrictions, prohibits specified licensees from furnishing, giving, or lending money or other things of value, directly or indirectly, to a person engaged in operating, owning, or maintaining an off-sale licensed premises. Existing law permits, until January 1, 2016, the appearance of a person employed or engaged by an authorized licensee at a promotional event held at the premises of an off-sale retail licensee for the purposes of providing autographs, subject to specified conditions. Existing law generally prohibits a winegrower, a California winegrower's agent, importer, or other specified parties from providing a licensee alcoholic beverages as a free good as a part of any sale or transaction involving alcoholic beverages or furnishing anything of value to a licensee for specified purposes. Existing law excepts from this prohibition a winegrower, California winegrower's agent, importer, or other specified parties when conducting or participating in an instructional event for consumers held at a retailer's premises featuring wines produced by or for the winegrower or imported by the importer, subject to specified conditions. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act provides that a violation of any of its provisions for which another penalty or punishment is not specifically provided is a misdemeanor. This bill would permit a winegrower, California winegrower's agent, importer, or other specified parties appearing at an instructional event, as specified, to provide autographs to consumers on consumer advertising specialties given by the person to a consumer or on any item provided by a consumer. The bill would expand the definition of an existing crime, thus imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would also prohibit a requirement of the purchase of any alcoholic beverage in connection with the autographing. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.