HB 1381: Alcoholic beverages; mixed beverage license; complimentary tasting; wholesalers; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to transition from a House version to a Senate version, which involved significant changes to the statute it amends. The primary substantive change is the shift in focus from the general powers and duties of the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission to specific grounds for denying liquor licenses. The Senate version introduces new eligibility criteria, such as requiring applicants to own or lease the premises they wish to operate in and prohibiting licenses for individuals with recent violations of ABLE rules or zoning ordinance violations.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from defining the general administrative powers of the ABLE Commission to establishing specific disqualifying factors for issuing wine, spirits, and beer licenses.

ELIGIBILITY

The amended statute now explicitly lists specific reasons to deny a license, including U.S. citizenship/residency requirements, age restrictions, felony convictions, and violations of state or federal alcohol laws.

New grounds for denial were added, such as the applicant being a law enforcement official or ABLE employee, owning premises that violate zoning ordinances, and having a history of license revocation within the last 12 months.

The Senate version adds a requirement that the applicant must own or have a written lease for the premises where the license will be operated.

The Senate version clarifies that a beer distributor or wine wholesaler under common ownership is not limited to one type of business entity, whereas the House version did not explicitly state this flexibility.

The Senate version adds a provision allowing a wine wholesaler or beer distributor to hold multiple licenses (e.g., a retail license) if they are otherwise qualified, provided they do not violate specific restrictions.

The Senate version adds a specific prohibition against issuing licenses to individuals who are law enforcement officials or employees of the ABLE Commission.

HB1381 (4-21-26) (MURDOCK) FS FA1.PDF → Floor (House) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a 'Floor Substitute' to a 'Committee Substitute' and updated to reflect the 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) instead of the 2nd Session (2026). The substantive content of the bill was completely replaced; the original text regarding mixed beverage licenses, complimentary tastings, and distributor agreements was removed and replaced with a new version that focuses on the powers and duties of the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission (ABLE Commission). The new version mandates an annual report on license revocations and suspensions to be made public online.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted entirely from regulating specific sales practices (tastings, distributor agreements) to regulating the administrative powers and reporting duties of the ABLE Commission.

TIMELINE

The legislative session changed from the 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026) to the 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025).

REQUIREMENT

The bill was reclassified from a 'Floor Substitute' to a 'Committee Substitute', indicating it has been amended by a committee.

New provisions require the ABLE Commission to submit an annual report by February 28 listing the number of licenses revoked or suspended, the basis for the action, and complaint details, which must be made public on the ABLE website.

SCOPE

All provisions regarding mixed beverage licenses, complimentary tasting allowances, and restrictions on distributor agreements were removed.

DEFINITION

The bill now defines the specific powers and duties of the ABLE Commission, including rule-making, license issuance, seizure authority, and inspection powers.

Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill → HB1381 (4-21-26) (MURDOCK) FS FA1.PDF · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from a committee substitute to a floor substitute, indicating it has passed committee review and is ready for the full legislature. The substantive text was completely rewritten to change the bill's focus from denying liquor licenses to new rules allowing restaurants to sell wine directly from wineries and beer from small brewers. It also adds specific rules for complimentary tastings, allows mixed beverage license holders to also hold retail wine or beer licenses, and introduces wrist bracelet or hand stamp age verification requirements for movie theaters.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a general prohibition on license denial to specific operational rules for mixed beverage license holders, including new sourcing privileges for restaurants and age verification mandates for theaters.

TIMELINE

The legislative session changed from the 1st Session of 2025 to the 2nd Session of 2026, and the effective date was updated to November 1, 2025.

SCOPE

The bill's purpose changed from listing grounds to deny liquor licenses to establishing rules for complimentary tastings and allowing mixed beverage license holders to sell wine and beer directly from producers.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements mandate that patrons in movie theaters must wear a wrist bracelet or receive a hand stamp to prove they are of legal drinking age.

Restaurants holding mixed beverage licenses are now authorized to purchase wine directly from wineries and beer directly from small brewers for self-distribution.

Holders of mixed beverage licenses are no longer prohibited from also holding separate retail wine or retail beer licenses.

New rules allow mixed beverage license holders to provide complimentary tastings of up to 1.5 ounces of spirits, 6 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer per day to guests.

House Committee Substitute → Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill · 10 edits

MAJOR

This bill shifts the legislative focus from the general powers and duties of the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission to specific criteria for denying liquor licenses. The changes remove the Commission's broad authority to issue licenses and instead establish a strict list of disqualifying factors, such as non-citizenship, criminal convictions, and zoning violations, that would prevent an applicant from receiving a license.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from defining the general administrative powers of the ABLE Commission to specifically regulating the grounds upon which the Commission must refuse to issue wine, spirits, or beer licenses.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the ABLE Commission's broad authority to supervise, inspect, regulate, and issue licenses, replacing it with a specific mandate to refuse licenses based on defined criteria.

Added a comprehensive list of 17 specific grounds for denying a license, including requirements that the applicant be a US citizen/resident, at least 21 years old, and free of felony convictions or alcohol-related legal violations.

Added restrictions preventing applicants who have held federal liquor stamps in Oklahoma from obtaining new licenses, with limited exceptions for military installations.

Added a prohibition against applicants who have held a revoked license within the past 12 months from obtaining a renewal.

Added a requirement that the proposed license location must comply with valid municipal zoning ordinances.

Added a restriction preventing applicants from holding multiple conflicting license types (e.g., wine wholesaler and beer distributor) simultaneously.

Added a requirement that applicants must be in compliance with state tax laws.

Modified the rules regarding common ownership, allowing beer distributors and wine wholesalers under common ownership to operate without restriction, and permitting retail spirits licenses to be issued to corporations or partnerships.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed the Commission's authority to prescribe container sizes, gather statistical data, educate employees on intoxication prevention, and purchase vehicles/insurance.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the effective date of the act to November 1, 2025.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → House Committee Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was completely rewritten to replace an oversight committee substitute with a formal committee substitute. The substantive content of the bill, which defines the powers and duties of the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission, remains unchanged, though the formatting and page numbering were updated to reflect the official legislative process.

Scope change

No change to the scope or applicability of the bill; the changes are purely procedural and formatting.

TECHNICAL

The entire document structure was replaced, removing committee amendment headers and inserting the official committee substitute format with new page numbers and request numbers.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was converted from an 'Engrossed' version to a 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute,' which is a procedural draft version prepared by the legislative committee. The text of the bill itself, including the specific powers and duties of the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission, appears unchanged in this comparison, as the committee has not yet finalized or altered the substantive policy language.

TECHNICAL

The document format was updated to reflect the committee's review stage, changing the header from 'Engrossed' to 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' and adding committee-specific metadata.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 6 edits · Apr 29, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was re-engrossed with updated authorship and a significant restructuring of its text. The primary change is the replacement of the original bill text with a new version that consolidates the powers and duties of the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission (ABLE Commission) into a single, comprehensive section. This new version clarifies the Commission's authority to issue, revoke, and suspend licenses, while also adding specific duties regarding rule-making, seizure of illegal alcohol, and public reporting of enforcement actions.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded and clarified to explicitly include the Commission's authority to seize and confiscate alcohol in violation of the law, a duty that was less distinct in the previous version. The scope of reporting was also broadened to require the public release of data regarding revoked licenses and complaints.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill's authorship, replacing House author Dempsey with Moore and Senate author Daniels with Murdock, while retaining Daniels as a co-author.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the previous multi-section text with a new, consolidated Section 1 that lists 20 specific powers and duties for the ABLE Commission.

Added a requirement for the Commission to submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature detailing revoked licenses, the basis for those actions, and the number of tickets and penalties issued, which must then be made public on the Commission's website.

Added a new duty requiring the Commission to educate employees of licensees on preventing the sale of alcohol to minors and recognizing intoxication.

Added authority for the Commission to purchase motor vehicles and insurance for its operations.

ENFORCEMENT

Added explicit authority for the Commission to seize and apply for the confiscation of alcoholic beverages manufactured, sold, or transported in violation of the law.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 5 edits · Apr 29, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to completely rewrite its text, shifting its focus from general ABLE Commission duties to specific regulations on mixed beverage licenses. The new version allows restaurants and other licensed establishments to sell wine and beer for on-premises consumption, establishes strict rules for complimentary tasting of spirits, and mandates age verification methods (wristbands or hand stamps) in movie theaters.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from a broad overview of the ABLE Commission's powers to specific operational rules for mixed beverage license holders, including new provisions for tasting allowances and age verification in theaters.

SCOPE

The bill was entirely rewritten to replace general commission duties with specific rules for mixed beverage licenses.

REQUIREMENT

New rules allow establishments holding mixed beverage licenses to sell wine and beer for on-premises consumption if they also hold a restaurant license.

Complimentary tasting of spirits is now permitted under strict conditions, limited to one 1.5-ounce pour per day per guest.

Movie theaters must require patrons to wear wristbands or receive a hand stamp to prove they are of legal drinking age.

ELIGIBILITY

Mixed beverage licenses are now restricted to counties where the sale of individual drinks for on-premises consumption is already authorized.

Alcoholic beverages; mixed beverage license; complimentary tasting; wholesalers; effective date.

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