SB 107 expands when and how certain wine dealers may deliver wine to customers in Indiana. Under current law, wine dealers may sell wine for off-premises consumption, and this bill specifically authorizes a wine dealer that is not a package liquor store to deliver wine to a customer’s residence or office in permissible containers. For wine dealers licensed under a separate retail package/liquor provision, the bill also allows delivery to a customer’s designated location in addition to a residence or office.
The bill further specifies that wine delivery must be performed by the permit holder or an employee who holds the required employee permit, and it requires the permit holder to keep written delivery records for at least one year showing the customer’s name, delivery location, and quantity sold. It also amends the employee-permit statute to expressly include employees of certain dealers who deliver beer, liquor, or wine, while retaining existing permit eligibility and revocation rules tied to operating-while-intoxicated convictions and other alcohol-law violations.
Impact
SB 107 amends Indiana Code 7.1-3 and affects both wine dealers and the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission’s employee-permit framework. The practical effect is to broaden lawful wine-delivery options for non-package liquor store wine dealers and to clarify that delivery work must be done by the permit holder or a permitted employee, with recordkeeping obligations for compliance and enforcement. It also reinforces the regulatory structure governing who may obtain or keep an employee permit for alcohol-related work, including delivery roles.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received broadly favorable treatment in the Senate. It was reported out of the Senate Committee on Public Policy on a 9-0 vote and later passed third reading in the Senate by a 42-7 margin, suggesting substantial support for expanding wine delivery options while maintaining regulatory controls. The available materials do not show significant committee debate or public testimony, so the overall tone in the record is supportive and relatively noncontroversial, though not unanimous.
Contention
The main policy tension in SB 107 is between expanding alcohol delivery convenience and preserving oversight of alcohol distribution. Supporters likely favor the added flexibility for wine dealers and customers, while any concerns would center on enforcement, responsible delivery practices, and whether broader delivery authority could increase alcohol access. The bill addresses some of those concerns by limiting delivery to residences, offices, or designated locations, requiring permitted personnel to make deliveries, and imposing recordkeeping and permit-eligibility restrictions tied to intoxication-related convictions.