House Bill 776

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 67-1-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE VOTED IN FAVOR OF COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE DRY LAW MAY ENFORCE SUCH PROPER RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR FIXING ZONES AND TERRITORIES TO PROMOTE PUBLIC HEALTH, MORALS, AND SAFETY, AS THEY MAY BY ORDINANCE PROVIDE; TO PROVIDE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ANY COUNTY THAT HAS VOTED IN FAVOR OF COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE DRY LAW MAY MAKE SIMILAR RULES AND REGULATIONS AS TO TERRITORY OUTSIDE OF MUNICIPALITIES; TO PROVIDE THAT MUNICIPALITIES MAY ENFORCE SUCH PROPER LOCATION OF PACKAGE RETAILER STORES WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY BY APPLICATION OF A PROPERLY ADOPTED ZONING ORDINANCE; TO AMEND SECTION 67-1-37, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE SHALL NOT ISSUE ANY PERMIT WHICH WOULD CONFLICT WITH ANY ZONING ORDINANCE LEGALLY ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF ANY MUNICIPALITY OR RULE OR REGULATION OF ANY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ANY COUNTY AS SET FORTH IN SECTION 67-1-7; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 67-1-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

67-1-7. (1) Except as otherwise provided in Section 67-9-1 for the transportation and possession of limited amounts of alcoholic beverages for the use of an alcohol processing permittee, and subject to all of the provisions and restrictions contained in this article, the manufacture, sale, distribution, and transportation of alcoholic beverages shall be lawful, subject to the restrictions hereinafter imposed, in those counties and municipalities of this state in which, at a local option election called and held for that purpose under the provisions of this article, a majority of the qualified electors voting in such election shall vote in favor thereof.

Beginning on April 16, 2021, except as otherwise provided in Section 67-1-51 for holders of a caterer's permit, the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages shall not be permissible or lawful in counties except in (a) incorporated municipalities located within such counties, (b) qualified resort areas within such counties approved as such by the department, or (c) clubs within such counties, whether within a municipality or not. However, any permits issued by the department between July 1, 2020, and April 15, 2021, for the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages, whether or not issued to permittees in such municipalities, qualified resort areas or clubs, shall be eligible for renewal on or after April 16, 2021.

The manufacture, sale, distribution and possession of native wines or native spirits shall be lawful in any location within any such county except those locations where the manufacture, sale or distribution is prohibited by law other than this section or by regulations of the department. However, notwithstanding this provision, municipalities that have voted in favor of coming out from under the dry law may enforce such proper rules and regulations for fixing zones and territories to promote public health, morals, and safety, as they may by ordinance provide. The board of supervisors of any county that has voted in favor of coming out from under the dry law may make such rules and regulations as to territory outside of municipalities as are herein provided for municipalities.

Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, municipalities may enforce such proper location of package retailer stores within the municipality by application of a properly adopted zoning ordinance.

(2) Notwithstanding the foregoing, within any state park or any state park facility that has been declared a qualified resort area by the department, and within any qualified resort area as defined under Section 67-1-5(o)(iii), an on-premises retailer's permit may be issued for the qualified resort area, and the permittee may lawfully sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on his licensed premises regardless of whether or not the county or municipality in which the qualified resort area is located has voted in favor of coming out from under the dry law, and it shall be lawful to receive, store, sell, possess and consume alcoholic beverages on the licensed premises, and to sell, distribute and transport alcoholic beverages to the licensed premises. Moreover, the governing authorities of a municipality in which a qualified resort area defined under Section 67-1-5(o)(iii)5, 7, 21 or 46 is located, the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District Board which governs the qualified resort area defined under Section 67-1-5(o)(iii)8.a.A, the board of supervisors of the county in which the qualified resort area defined under Section 67-1-5(o)(iii)8.a.B and C is located, and the board of supervisors of the county in which the qualified resort area defined under Section 67-1-5(o)(iii)44 is located, may, by ordinance or resolution, provide that package retailer's permits may be issued in the applicable qualified resort area, and that it shall be lawful to receive, store, sell, possess and distribute alcoholic beverages in accordance with such package retailer's permits.

SECTION 2. Section 67-1-37, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended by House Bill No. 1525, 2024 Regular Session, is amended as follows:

67-1-37. The Department of Revenue, under its duties and powers with respect to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division therein, shall have the following powers, functions and duties:

(a) To issue or refuse to issue any permit provided for by this article, or to extend the permit or remit in whole or any part of the permit monies when the permit cannot be used due to a natural disaster or act of God.

(b) To revoke, suspend or cancel, for violation of or noncompliance with the provisions of this article, or the law governing the production and sale of native wines or native spirits, or any lawful rules and regulations of the department issued hereunder, or for other sufficient cause, any permit issued by it under the provisions of this article. The department shall also be authorized to suspend the permit of any permit holder for being out of compliance with an order for support, as defined in Section 93-11-153. The procedure for suspension of a permit for being out of compliance with an order for support, and the procedure for the reissuance or reinstatement of a permit suspended for that purpose, and the payment of any fees for the reissuance or reinstatement of a permit suspended for that purpose, shall be governed by Section 93-11-157 or Section 93-11-163, as the case may be. If there is any conflict between any provision of Section 93-11-157 or Section 93-11-163 and any provision of this article, the provisions of Section 93-11-157 or Section 93-11-163, as the case may be, shall control.

(c) To prescribe forms of permits and applications for permits and of all reports which it deems necessary in administering this article.

(d) To fix standards, not in conflict with those prescribed by any law of this state or of the United States, to secure the use of proper ingredients and methods of manufacture of alcoholic beverages.

(e) To issue rules regulating the advertising of alcoholic beverages in the state in any class of media and permitting advertising of the retail price of alcoholic beverages.

(f) To issue reasonable rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the federal laws or regulations, requiring informative labeling of all alcoholic beverages offered for sale within this state and providing for the standards of fill and shapes of retail containers of alcoholic beverages; however, such containers shall not contain less than fifty (50) milliliters by liquid measure.

(g) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of Section 67-1-51, to issue rules and regulations governing the issuance of retail permits for premises located near or around schools, colleges, universities, churches and other public institutions, and specifying the distances therefrom within which no such permit shall be issued. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division shall not issue a package retailer's or on-premises retailer's permit for the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages in or on the campus of any public school. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division shall not issue a package retailer's permit for the sale of alcoholic beverages in or on the campus of any community or junior college, college or university.

(h) To adopt and promulgate, repeal and amend, such rules, regulations, standards, requirements and orders, not inconsistent with this article or any law of this state or of the United States, as it deems necessary to control the manufacture, importation, transportation, distribution, delivery and sale of alcoholic liquor, whether intended for beverage or nonbeverage use in a manner not inconsistent with the provisions of this article or any other statute, including the native wine and native spirit laws.

(i) To call upon other administrative departments of the state, county and municipal governments, county and city police departments and upon prosecuting officers for such information and assistance as it may deem necessary in the performance of its duties.

(j) To prepare and submit to the Governor during the month of January of each year a detailed report of its official acts during the preceding fiscal year ending June 30, including such recommendations as it may see fit to make, and to transmit a like report to each member of the Legislature of this state upon the convening thereof at its next regular session.

(k) To inspect, or cause to be inspected, any premises where alcoholic liquors intended for sale are manufactured, stored, distributed or sold, and to examine or cause to be examined all books and records pertaining to the business conducted therein.

(l) To investigate the administration of laws in relation to alcoholic liquors in this and other states and any foreign countries, and to recommend from time to time to the Governor and through him to the Legislature of this state such amendments to this article, if any, as it may think desirable.

(m) To designate hours and days when alcoholic beverages may be sold in different localities in the state which permit such sale.

(n) To assign employees to posts of duty at locations where they will be most beneficial for the control of alcoholic beverages and to take any other action concerning persons employed under this article as authorized by law and taken in accordance with the rules, regulations and procedures of the State Personnel Board.

(o) To enforce the provisions made unlawful by Chapter 3, Title 67 and Section 97-5-49.

(p) To delegate its authority under this article to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, its director or any other officer or employee of the department that it deems appropriate.

(q) To prescribe and charge a fee to defray the costs of shipping alcoholic beverages, provided that such fee is determined in a manner provided by the department by rules and/or regulations adopted in accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division shall not issue any permit which would conflict with any zoning ordinance legally adopted by the governing authorities of any municipality or rule or regulation of any board of supervisors of any county as set forth in Section 67-1-7(1).

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.