SB 531: Alcoholic beverages; modifying requirements for information to be submitted to the ABLE Commission; modifying grounds for refusal of certain licenses; modifying persons prohibited from taking certain action. Effective date. - Oklahoma

Committee Substitute → Floor (Senate) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was converted from a 'Committee Substitute' draft to the official 'Senate Floor Version' for legislative consideration. While the substantive policy language regarding alcohol licensing requirements remains largely identical, the formatting was standardized to include a clear header, page numbers, and a legend indicating that bold text denotes the specific amendments made by the committee.

Scope change

No change in the scope or applicability of the bill; the changes are purely stylistic and procedural to prepare the text for floor debate.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect the 'Senate Floor Version' dated March 6, 2025, replacing the 'Committee Substitute' title.

A legend was added stating that bold face text denotes the specific amendments made by the committee, aiding legislators in reviewing changes.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to align the text with standard legislative formatting conventions, including the addition of page numbers and section headers.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → Committee Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to correct a legislative session date error and streamline the text to remove redundant committee headers. Substantively, the requirements for corporations applying for alcohol licenses were reorganized to clearly distinguish between mixed beverage/wholesaler applications and retail wine/beer applications, while updating ownership thresholds and notification procedures for changes in officers or directors.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on amending the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, but the specific applicability of reporting requirements was clarified by separating rules for different license types.

TIMELINE

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

REQUIREMENT

Reporting requirements for corporations were restructured into two distinct subsections: one for mixed beverage/wholesaler licenses and another for retail wine/beer licenses, clarifying which documents are needed for each.

The threshold for disclosing stockholder information was updated; the requirement to list all stockholders owning more than 15% was moved to the retail wine/beer section, while the mixed beverage section now requires a list of stockholders owning 51% or more than 15%.

The process for notifying the commission of changes in officers, directors, or managers was clarified to include a specific $100 fee for each notification, with exemptions for certain service organizations.

The criteria for disapproving changes in leadership or ownership were refined to allow the commission to deny changes if they would materially affect the conditions under which the license was originally issued.

Eligibility restrictions were added preventing individuals who were officers, directors, or major stockholders of a denied or revoked license from owning stock in another corporation seeking a license for twelve months.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten by the House Oversight Committee to standardize reporting requirements for all alcohol licensees. The new version replaces the previous text entirely, adding a new affidavit requirement for corporations to prove stockholders have no conflicting interests and clarifying that the 15% ownership threshold applies to both corporations and limited liability companies.

Scope change

The scope remains focused on alcohol beverage licensees, but the applicability of specific reporting rules was expanded to include limited liability companies (LLCs) in addition to corporations, and the definition of 'stockholders' was broadened to include LLC members.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for corporations to submit an affidavit stating that stockholders owning 15% or less of the stock have no direct or indirect interest in any other tier of ownership.

Added a new requirement for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) to submit specific organizational documents, including articles of organization, operating agreements, and member lists, to the ABLE Commission.

Modified the ownership threshold reporting requirement to explicitly apply to LLC members owning more than 15% of membership interests, aligning LLC rules with corporate rules.

Removed the previous text which had slightly different wording regarding the list of stockholders and the specific fee exemption language for service organizations.

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Mar 31, 2025

MODERATE

SB 531 was updated from its introduced version to the engrossed version, incorporating substantive changes to the reporting requirements for alcohol licensees. The bill now explicitly defines the ABLE Commission, expands the list of required documents for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), and modifies the ownership thresholds that trigger reporting obligations and disqualification periods.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include specific reporting requirements for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) applying for alcohol licenses, which were not detailed in the introduced version. Additionally, the applicability of ownership restrictions was refined to cover LLC members holding more than 15% of interests.

REQUIREMENT

The definition of the regulatory body was updated to explicitly name the 'Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission'.

The ownership threshold for corporations applying for mixed beverage, beer, and wine licenses was changed from 'fifteen percent (15%) or more' to 'more than fifteen percent (15%)', meaning owners of exactly 15% no longer need to report.

New requirements were added for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) to submit Articles of Organization, proof of filing, resident agent info, manager info, operating agreements, and membership interest certificates.

The list of required corporate officers for charitable organizations was updated to reference the 'Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended'.

ELIGIBILITY

The ban on owning stock in other alcohol companies for individuals previously denied licenses was extended to LLC members who owned more than 15% of the company's interests.

Alcoholic beverages; modifying requirements for information to be submitted to the ABLE Commission; modifying grounds for refusal of certain licenses; modifying persons prohibited from taking certain action. Effective date.

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