West Virginia Senate Bill SB342

West Virginia 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/13/25
• Refer: 2/13/25

Caption

Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner rule relating to sale of wine and hard cider

Summary

SB 342 is a rule-authorization bill that allows the Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner to promulgate a legislative rule governing the sale of wine and hard cider. The bill does not itself create a new regulatory scheme in the statutory text; instead, it approves a previously filed administrative rule, 175 CSR 04, after it was modified to address objections from the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee and refiled in the State Register. In practical terms, the bill gives legal effect to the commissioner’s rulemaking on wine and hard cider sales under the authority of the state’s alcohol control laws. It is a narrow administrative measure focused on validating the agency rule and aligning it with legislative review requirements, rather than changing broader alcohol policy directly in the bill text.

Impact

If enacted, SB 342 would amend West Virginia Code §64-7-1 to authorize the Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner’s legislative rule on the sale of wine and hard cider. The bill’s effect is to confirm the validity of the referenced rule, 175 CSR 04, and thereby allow the commissioner to regulate aspects of wine and hard cider sales under existing alcohol beverage control authority. The primary parties affected are alcohol retailers, distributors, producers, and consumers involved in wine and hard cider sales, as well as the agency responsible for enforcement and rule administration.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears procedural and neutral rather than controversial. The measure is presented as a routine authorization of an administrative rule that has already been reviewed and revised to address legislative objections. There is no evidence in the provided record of organized opposition or support beyond the normal legislative review process.

Contention

The main point of contention, to the extent one exists, is not the policy topic itself but the rulemaking process: the Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner had to modify the rule to meet objections from the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee before refiling it. That suggests any concerns were likely about the rule’s form, scope, or compliance with legislative expectations rather than a broader dispute over wine and hard cider sales. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so no specific lawmakers or stakeholder groups can be identified as taking opposing positions.