Senate Bill S6703

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Authorizes holders of certain licenses issued by the state liquor authority to engage in the sale or wholesale of ready-to-drink cocktails

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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Bill Amendments

2025-S6703 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6931
Current Committee:
Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3, 54 & 53, ABC L; amd §§420 & 424, Tax L

2025-S6703 - Summary

Authorizes holders of certain licenses issued by the state liquor authority for consumption off premises to engage in the sale and/or wholesale of ready-to-drink cocktails; provides that such provisions relating to the direct sale of RTD cocktails shall only apply within the city of New York; provides for the taxation of ready-to-drink cocktails.

2025-S6703 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6703 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6703
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
   ment Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the alcoholic beverage control law and the tax  law,  in
   relation  to  authorizing  holders of certain licenses authorizing the
   sale or wholesale of beer to engage in the sale or wholesale of  read-
   y-to-drink cocktails
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "ready-to-drink cocktail retail sales act".
   §  2.  Section  3  of the alcoholic beverage control law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 23-a to read as follows:
   23-A. "READY-TO-DRINK COCKTAIL" OR "RTD COCKTAIL" SHALL  MEAN  A  PRE-
 MIXED  BEVERAGE  CONTAINING DISTILLED SPIRITS, NOT EXCEEDING SIX PERCENT
 ALCOHOL BY VOLUME, THAT IS PACKAGED FOR SALE IN  SEALED  CONTAINERS  FOR
 OFF-PREMISES CONSUMPTION.
   §  3.  Section  54 of the alcoholic beverage control law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. A LICENSE TO SELL BEER  AT  RETAIL  FOR  CONSUMPTION  OFF  PREMISES
 ISSUED  UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL AUTHORIZE THE HOLDER OF SUCH LICENSE TO
 SELL READY-TO-DRINK COCKTAILS FOR CONSUMPTION OFF PREMISES. ANY  USE  OF
 THE TERM "BEER" AS USED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO APPLY ALSO TO
 READY-TO-DRINK  COCKTAILS;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER, THAT SUCH APPLICATION OF
 THE TERM "BEER" SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  SECTION  AND
 SHALL  NOT  APPLY  TO THE USE OF THE TERM "BEER" IN ANY OTHER SECTION OF
 LAW, RULE OR REGULATION, UNLESS SUCH RULE OR REGULATION RELATES  SPECIF-
 ICALLY TO THE ISSUANCE OF A LICENSE UNDER THIS SECTION.
   § 4. Section 420 of the tax law is amended by adding a new subdivision
 17 to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10959-01-5
 S. 6703                             2
              

2025-S6703A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A6931
Current Committee:
Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:
Alcoholic Beverage Control Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3, 54 & 53, ABC L; amd §§420 & 424, Tax L

2025-S6703A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes holders of certain licenses issued by the state liquor authority for consumption off premises to engage in the sale and/or wholesale of ready-to-drink cocktails; provides that such provisions relating to the direct sale of RTD cocktails shall only apply within the city of New York; provides for the taxation of ready-to-drink cocktails.

2025-S6703A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6703A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6703--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
   ment  Operations  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,   ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the alcoholic beverage control law and the tax law, in
   relation to authorizing holders of  certain  licenses  issued  by  the
   state liquor authority to engage in the sale or wholesale of ready-to-
   drink cocktails
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "ready-to-drink cocktail retail sales act".
   §  2.  Section  3  of the alcoholic beverage control law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 23-a to read as follows:
   23-A. "READY-TO-DRINK COCKTAIL" OR "RTD  COCKTAIL"  MEANS  A  BEVERAGE
 CONTAINING  LIQUOR  WHICH  IS  ADDED  TO  CONCENTRATED OR UNCONCENTRATED
 JUICE, FLAVORING MATERIAL, WATER,  CITRIC  ACID,  SUGAR,  AND/OR  CARBON
 DIOXIDE,  THAT CONTAINS NOT MORE THAN EIGHT AND ONE-HALF PERCENT ALCOHOL
 BY VOLUME, AND THAT IS SOLD IN SINGLE SERVING CONTAINERS WITH A SIZE  NO
 GREATER THAN SIXTEEN OUNCES EACH.
   §  3.  Section  54 of the alcoholic beverage control law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. A LICENSE TO SELL BEER  AT  RETAIL  FOR  CONSUMPTION  OFF  PREMISES
 ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL AUTHORIZE A HOLDER OF SUCH LICENSE OPER-
 ATING  IN  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK TO SELL READY-TO-DRINK COCKTAILS FOR
 CONSUMPTION OFF PREMISES FROM ANY PREMISES LOCATED IN THE  CITY  OF  NEW
 YORK. ANY USE OF THE TERM "BEER" AS USED IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED
 TO  APPLY ALSO TO READY-TO-DRINK COCKTAILS; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT SUCH
 APPLICATION OF THE TERM "BEER" SHALL BE LIMITED  TO  THE  PROVISIONS  OF
 THIS  SECTION  AND  SHALL NOT APPLY TO THE USE OF THE TERM "BEER" IN ANY
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10959-05-5
 S. 6703--A                          2
              

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