SB 1163 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Alcoholic beverage control; food-to-beverage ratio, sunset.

Summary
Alcoholic beverage control; food-to-beverage ratio. Reduces the current 45 percent food-to-beverage ratio for certain mixed beverage licensees. The bill requires a mixed beverage restaurant, caterer's, or limited caterer's licensee with monthly food sales of at least $4,000 to have a food-to-beverage ratio that meets or exceeds 30 percent. The bill also requires that restaurants have at least as many seats at tables as at counters and prohibits mixed beverage licensees from serving mixed beverages once food is no longer being sold for on-premises consumption. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2027, and requires the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to collect data regarding the compliance of mixed beverage licensees with the provisions of the bill and the impact of the change to the food-to-beverage ratio on the gross amount of food consumed on a licensee's premises. The bill requires the Authority to report such data to the Chairmen of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services by November 1, 2026.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Last action Feb 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Rehabilitation and Social Services Substitute · 10 edits
MAJOR
This bill amends Virginia's alcoholic beverage control laws to update definitions, expand regulatory authority, and adjust licensing requirements. The changes include modernizing terminology for new business types like commercial lifestyle centers and culinary lodging resorts, adding new license categories for special events and venues, and modifying food-to-beverage ratio requirements for certain licensees. The bill also introduces new regulatory provisions for happy hours, gift-giving of alcohol, and bar bystander training to address public safety concerns.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of regulated establishments to include new types of venues and modifies eligibility requirements for various license types, particularly around food sales thresholds and operational standards.
DEFINITION

Added definitions for new establishment types including commercial lifestyle centers, culinary lodging resorts, and gourmet oyster houses to reflect modern business models.

REQUIREMENT

Modified food-to-beverage ratio requirements for mixed beverage licensees, establishing different thresholds based on monthly food sales ($4,000-$20,000 requires 35% ratio, $20,000+ has no ratio requirement).

Added requirement for bar bystander training modules to help licensees recognize and prevent sexual assault situations.

Added regulations permitting gift-giving of one alcoholic beverage to individual patrons or one bottle of wine to groups of two or more patrons, with frequency limitations.

Added provisions for happy hour advertising and pricing, allowing creative marketing while prohibiting techniques that induce overconsumption or consumption by minors.

Added requirements for mixed beverage licensees to have food available until at least 30 minutes before closing, with spirits sales prohibited once food is no longer being sold.

Added requirements for mixed beverage casino licensees regarding off-premises sales restrictions between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified eligibility criteria for various license types including bed and breakfast, museum, and commercial lifestyle center licenses with updated operational requirements.

TIMELINE

Established a transition period with different effective dates for certain provisions, with some changes taking effect July 1, 2026.

ENFORCEMENT

Added authority for the Board to suspend purchase privileges from the Authority for licensees failing to submit required records within 30 days.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 3, 2025

How they voted

400
Passed
Total votes 40
Feb 3, 2025
D Democratic21
21 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
19 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
20
Key actions
3
Committee
3
Feb 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (36-Y 4-N)
upper
Feb 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported from Rehabilitation and Social Services with substitute (14-Y 1-N)
upper
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Ryan McDougle
Ryan McDougle
RRepublican
VA
26