South Carolina General Assembly
113th Session, 1999-2000

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Bill 4086


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      4086
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  19990512
Primary Sponsor:                  Kelley
All Sponsors:                     Kelley, Allison, Altman, Bales, Barfield, 
                                  Barrett, Bowers, G. Brown, T. Brown, Campsen, 
                                  Carnell, Cato, Chellis, Clyburn, Cooper, 
                                  Cotty, Dantzler, Davenport, Edge, Emory, 
                                  Gilham, Gourdine, Hamilton, Harrell, Haskins, 
                                  Hayes, Inabinett, Jennings, Keegan, Lanford, 
                                  Leach, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Martin, McGee, 
                                  J.H. Neal, Ott, Riser, Rodgers, Sandifer, 
                                  Seithel, J. Smith, R. Smith, Stille, Taylor, 
                                  Townsend, Tripp, Wilder, Witherspoon, Woodrum, 
                                  Harvin, Miller
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\bbm\10058som99.doc
Companion Bill Number:            844
Residing Body:                    House
Subject:                          Alcohol and alcoholic beverages, liquors; 
                                  sales tax on when sold by the drink; Taxation, 
                                  Minibottles


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
House   20000524  Debate adjourned until
                  Thursday, 20000601
------  20000425  Scrivener's error corrected
House   20000419  Committee report: majority             30 HWM
                  favorable, with amendment,
                  minority unfavorable
House   19990518  Co-Sponsor added (Rule 5.2) by Rep.            Miller
House   19990512  Co-Sponsor added (Rule 5.2) by Rep.            Harvin
House   19990512  Introduced, read first time,           30 HWM
                  referred to Committee


              Versions of This Bill
Revised on April 19, 2000 - Word format
Revised on April 25, 2000 - Word format

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

COMMITTEE REPORT

April 19, 2000

H. 4086

Introduced by Reps. Kelley, Allison, Altman, Bales, Barfield, Barrett, Bowers, G. Brown, T. Brown, Campsen, Carnell, Cato, Chellis, Clyburn, Cooper, Cotty, Dantzler, Davenport, Edge, Emory, Gilham, Gourdine, Hamilton, Harrell, Haskins, Hayes, Inabinett, Jennings, Keegan, Lanford, Leach, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Martin, McGee, J.H. Neal, Ott, Riser, Rodgers, Sandifer, Seithel, J. Smith, R. Smith, Stille, Taylor, Townsend, Tripp, Wilder, Witherspoon, Woodrum, Harvin and Miller

S. Printed 4/19/00--H.

Read the first time May 12, 1999.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

To whom was referred a Bill (H. 4086), to amend Chapter 36, Title 12, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to sales and use taxes, by adding Section 12-36-925, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 1 in its entirety and inserting:

/ SECTION 1. Article 9, Chapter 36 of Title 12 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 12-36-925. (A) In addition to taxes imposed under Sections 12-33-230, 12-33-240, and Article 5 of Chapter 33 of Title 12, there is imposed a sales tax equal to four and twenty-five hundredths percent of the gross proceeds of the sales of alcoholic beverages sold by the drink or in minibottles for on-premises consumption in an establishment licensed for such sales pursuant to Article 5, Chapter 6 of Title 61. All proceeds of this additional tax must be deposited to the credit of the general fund of the State. Except with respect to the distribution of the revenue of this tax, for purposes of this chapter, this additional tax is considered to be imposed pursuant to Section 12-36-910(A).

(B) Eleven percent of the revenue generated by this section must be placed on deposit with the State Treasurer and credited to a fund separate and distinct from the general fund to the State. On a quarterly basis, the State Treasurer shall allocate this revenue to counties on a per capita basis according to the most recent United States Census. The State Treasurer must notify each county of the allocation pursuant to this subsection in addition to the funds allocated pursuant to Section 6-27-40(B), and the combination of these funds must be used by counties for educational purposes relating to the use of alcoholic liquors and for the rehabilitation of alcoholics and drug addicts. Counties may pool these funds with other counties and may combine these funds with other funds for the same purpose." /

Amend the bill further by striking SECTION 2 in its entirety and inserting:

/ SECTION 2. Section 6-27-40(B) of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 415 of 1996, is further amended to read:

"(B) In making the quarterly distribution to counties, the State Treasurer must notify each county of the amount that must be used for educational purposes relating to the use of alcoholic liquors and for the rehabilitation of alcoholics and drug addicts. Counties may pool these funds with other counties and may combine these funds with other funds for the same purposes. The amount that must be used as provided in this subsection is equal to twenty-five percent of the revenue derived pursuant to Section 12-33-245 12-36-925 allocated on a per capita basis according to the most recent United States Census, but in no case may the amount provided in this subsection be less than the amount distributed to counties in fiscal year 1999-2000 under the former provisions of Section 12-33-245. A shortfall in the amount must be made up by a transfer of funds from the general fund of State." /

Amend the bill further by adding an appropriately numbered section to read:

/ SECTION __. Section 61-12-10 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 100 of 1999, is further amended to read:

"Section 61-12-10. Revenue allocated to counties for educational purposes relating to the use of alcoholic liquors and the rehabilitation of alcoholics, drug abusers, and drug addicts pursuant to Section 6-27-40 and Section 12-33-245 12-36-925 must be regulated and disbursed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter."

Amend the bill further by striking SECTION 15 in its entirety and inserting:

/ SECTION 15. This act takes effect on the first july 1st after the ratification of an amendment offered in the 2000 general election to the constitution of the State authorizing the sale of liquor by the drink./

Renumber sections to conform.

Amend title to conform.

Majority favorable. Minority unfavorable.

ROBERT W. HARRELL, JR. DANIEL T. COOPER

For Majority. For Minority.

            

STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT

REVENUE IMPACT1

This bill is expected to decrease general fund revenue by an estimated $1.5 million in FY2000-01.

Explanation

This bill would replace the twenty-five cent excise tax on mini-bottles with a four and one-quarter percent sales tax per drink. The mini-bottle tax yields $16,600,000 in revenue from sales of approximately 66,300,000 mini-bottles. Total alcoholic liquor taxes, including the case taxes and the nine percent surtax, total $19.6 million. Based on a survey of restaurants and industry representatives, the current price of mixed drinks ranges from $3.75 to $5.00 per 12-ounce drink, depending on location, type of restaurant, and time of day. According to industry experts, these establishments will switch to the sale of 8-ounce drinks in the range of $3.50 to $4.00 per drink based on one and one-quarter ounce per drink. It is expected that customers will consume approximately the same amount of alcoholic beverages. The number of cases sold is expected to increase. It is expected that the 23-cent per drink tax savings will be passed on in lower drink prices. The number of drinks sold will increase to compensate for the lower volume of alcohol per drink, but with a five percent loss. Based on these expectations, a 4.25 percent sales tax will yield approximately $13.7 million in FY2000-01. The additional alcohol-related taxes will yield an estimated $4.5 million in FY2000-01. This bill is expected to generate an estimated $18.1 million in general fund revenue in FY2000-01, or an estimated $1.5 million less than revenue raised under the current system of taxation.

Approved By:

William C. Gillespie

Board of Economic Advisors

1/ This statement meets the requirement of Section 2-7-71 for a state revenue impact, Section 2-7-76 for a local revenue impact, and Section 6-1-85(B) for an estimate of the shift in local property tax incidence.

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 36, TITLE 12, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO SALES AND USE TAXES, BY ADDING SECTION 12-36-925, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A SALES TAX ON THE GROSS PROCEEDS OF THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES BY THE DRINK; TO AMEND SECTION 6-27-40, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO DISTRIBUTIONS FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND, SO AS TO REVISE THE AMOUNT OF THE DISTRIBUTION TO COUNTIES THAT MUST BE USED FOR ALCOHOL EDUCATION AND ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG REHABILITATION; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-20, RELATING TO THE DEFINITIONS USED IN THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL ACT, SO AS TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION OF "ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR BY THE DRINK"; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-700, RELATING TO ESTABLISHMENTS WHICH USE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES SOLELY IN THE PREPARATION OF FOODS TO BE SERVED BY THE ESTABLISHMENTS, SO AS TO DELETE THE REFERENCE TO MINIBOTTLES; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-1600, RELATING TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS BEING LICENSED TO SELL ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS IN MINIBOTTLES SO AS TO ALSO AUTHORIZE THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS BY THE DRINK; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-1610, RELATING TO BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS LICENSED TO SELL ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS IN MINIBOTTLES, SO AS TO ALSO AUTHORIZE THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS BY THE DRINK AND TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-1620, RELATING TO RESTRICTIONS ON MINIBOTTLE LICENSEES SO AS TO DELETE THE RESTRICTIONS AND TO AUTHORIZE THE POSSESSION AND CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS IN CONTAINERS OTHER THAN MINIBOTTLES ON LICENSED PREMISES; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-1825, RELATING TO THE PROCEDURES TO PROTEST THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A MINIBOTTLE LICENSE, SO AS TO DELETE THE TERM "MINIBOTTLE" AND TO MAKE THE PROCEDURES APPLY TO ANY BIENNIAL LICENSE FOR ON-PREMISES CONSUMPTION; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-2000, AND SECTION 61-6-2005, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO TEMPORARY PERMITS FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE LICENSE AUTHORIZES THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS IN MINIBOTTLES OR BY THE DRINK; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-2010, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO TEMPORARY PERMITS AUTHORIZED THROUGH A REFERENDUM, SO AS TO REMOVE THE REFERENCES TO ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS "IN SEALED CONTAINERS OF TWO OUNCES OR LESS"; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-2200, RELATING TO THE AGE OF THE SERVER OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS IN ON-PREMISES ESTABLISHMENTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE SERVER, WHO IS EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, ALSO MAY SERVE ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS BY THE DRINK AS WELL AS IN MINIBOTTLES; TO AMEND SECTION 61-6-2600, RELATING TO THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING ARTICLE 5, CHAPTER 6 OF TITLE 61, CONCERNING THE REGULATION OF ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS IN MINIBOTTLES, SO AS TO REMOVE THE REFERENCE TO MINIBOTTLES AND TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO ACTS TO AVOID THE PAYMENT OF THE SALES TAX ON THE SERVING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES BY THE DRINK IS SUBJECT TO THE PENALTIES OF THIS SECTION; TO REPEAL SECTION 12-33-245, RELATING TO THE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EXCISE TAX ON MINIBOTTLES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 9, Chapter 36 of Title 12 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 12-36-925. In addition to taxes imposed under Sections 12-33-230, 12-33-240, and Article 5 of Chapter 33 of Title 12, there is imposed a sales tax equal to four and twenty-five hundredths percent of the gross proceeds of the sales of alcoholic beverages sold by the drink for on-premises consumption in an establishment licensed for such sales pursuant to Article 5, Chapter 6 of Title 61. All proceeds of this additional tax must be deposited to the credit of the general fund of the State. Except with respect to the distribution of the revenue of this tax, for purposes of this chapter, this additional tax is considered to be imposed pursuant to Section 12-36-910(A)."

SECTION 2. Section 6-27-40(B) of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 415 of 1996, is further amended to read:

"(B) In making the quarterly distribution to counties, the State Treasurer must notify each county of the amount that must be used for educational purposes relating to the use of alcoholic liquors and for the rehabilitation of alcoholics and drug addicts. Counties may pool these funds with other counties and may combine these funds with other funds for the same purposes. The amount that must be used as provided in this subsection is equal to twenty-five percent of the revenue derived pursuant to Section 12-33-245 12-36-925 allocated on a per capita basis according to the most recent United States Census."

SECTION 3. Section 61-6-20(1) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"Section 61-6-20. As used in the ABC Act, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(1)(A) 'Alcoholic liquors' or 'alcoholic beverages' means any spirituous malt, vinous, fermented, brewed (whether lager or rice beer), or other liquors or a compound or mixture thereof by whatever name called or known which contains alcohol and is used as a beverage, but does not include:

(a)(i) wine when manufactured or made for home consumption and which is not sold by the maker thereof or by another person; or

(b)(ii) a beverage declared by statute to be nonalcoholic or nonintoxicating;.

(B) 'Alcoholic liquor by the drink' or 'alcoholic beverage by the drink' means a drink poured from a container containing more than two ounces of alcoholic liquor."

SECTION 4. Section 61-6-700 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"Section 61-6-700. An establishment which offers meals to the public must be licensed by the department to purchase and possess liqueurs, wines, and similar alcoholic beverages used solely in the cooking and preparing of foods served by the establishment. Application for the license must be in a form and under conditions prescribed by the department. The license fee is fifty dollars. A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined five hundred dollars, and other licenses he holds from the department under this title must be revoked.

The license provided in this section does not alter or limit the privileges or responsibilities for holders of licenses issued to authorize the possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors in minibottles under Article 5 of this chapter. Establishments so licensed may use alcoholic liquors in the preparation of food without obtaining the license provided for in this section if only liquors in minibottles are used in the food preparation."

SECTION 5. Section 61-6-1600 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"Section 61-6-1600. Nonprofit organizations which are licensed by the department under this article may sell alcoholic liquors in minibottles or by the drink. Members or guests of members of these organizations may consume alcoholic liquors sold in minibottles or sold by the drink upon the premises between the hours of ten o'clock in the morning and two o'clock the following morning."

SECTION 6. Section 61-6-1610 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"Section 61-6-1610. (A) Except on Sunday, it is lawful to sell and consume alcoholic liquors sold in minibottles or sold by the drink in a business establishment between the hours of ten o'clock in the morning and two o'clock the following morning if the establishment meets the following requirements:

(1) the business is bona fide engaged primarily and substantially in the preparation and serving of meals or furnishing of lodging; and

(2) the business has a license from the department authorizing the sale and consumption of alcoholic liquors, which is conspicuously displayed on the main entrance to the premises and clearly visible from the outside.

(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the licensed premises of a business establishment which is bona fide engaged primarily and substantially in the preparation and service of meals and which holds a valid license for the sale and consumption of alcoholic liquors in minibottles do not extend to any portion of the business establishment or the property upon which it is located which is designed as or used for a parking area or a deck to a swimming pool even though food may be served in the area.

(C) An establishment licensed under this article may use alcoholic liquors in the preparation of food without obtaining the license provided for in Section 61-6-700 if only liquors in minibottles are used in the food preparation."

SECTION 7. Section 61-6-1620(A) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"(A) This article must not be construed to authorize authorizes the possession or consumption of alcoholic liquors in containers other than minibottles on premises open to the general public for which a license has been obtained pursuant to Sections Section 61-6-1600 or 61-6-1610."

SECTION 8. Section 61-6-1825 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 363 of 1998, is amended to read:

"Section 61-6-1825. A person residing in the county in which a minibottle license under subarticle 1 of this article is requested to be granted, or a person residing within five miles of the location for which a minibottle permit under subarticle 1 of this article is requested, may protest the issuance or renewal of the license if he files a written protest setting forth:

(1) the name, address, and telephone number of the person filing the protest;

(2) the name of the applicant for the license and the address of the premises sought to be licensed, or the name and address of the license holder if the application is for renewal;

(3) the specific reasons why the application should be denied; and

(4) whether or not he wishes to attend a contested case hearing before the Administrative Law Judge Division.

Upon receipt of a timely filed protest, the department shall determine the protestant's intent to attend a contested hearing before the Administrative Law Judge Division. If the protestant intends to attend a contested hearing, the department may not issue the permanent license but shall forward the file to the Administrative Law Judge Division.

If the protestant during the investigation expresses no desire to attend a contested hearing and offer testimony, the protest is deemed invalid, and the department shall continue to process the application and shall issue the license if all other statutory requirements are met.

A person who files a protest and fails to appear at a hearing after affirming a desire to attend the hearing may be assessed a penalty to include court costs."

SECTION 9. Section 61-6-2000 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"Section 61-6-2000. In addition to the minibottle licenses authorized under subarticle 1 of this article, the department may also issue a temporary license for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours to nonprofit organizations which authorizes these organizations to purchase and sell at a single social occasion alcoholic liquors in minibottles or by the drink. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the issuance of this permit authorizes the organization to purchase alcoholic liquors in minibottles from licensed retail dealers in the same manner that persons with biennial minibottle licenses are authorized to make these purchases. The fee for the permit is thirty-five dollars payable at the time of application. The permit application must include a statement by the applicant as to the amount of alcoholic liquors to be purchased and the nature and date of the social occasion at which they are to be sold. The issuance or nonissuance of permits authorized under this section is within the sole discretion of the department."

SECTION 10. Section 61-6-2005(A) of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 442 of 1998, is further amended to read:

"Section 61-6-2005. (A) A person who purchases or acquires by lease, inheritance, divorce decree, eviction, or otherwise a retail business which sells alcoholic liquors in sealed containers of two ounces or less from a holder of a license to sell alcoholic liquors in sealed containers of two ounces or less or by the drink at the business, upon initiating the application process for a permanent license, may be issued a temporary license by the department at the time of the purchase or acquisition if the location for which the temporary license is sought is not considered by the department to be a public nuisance and:

(1) the applicant currently holds a valid license to sell alcoholic liquors in sealed containers of two ounces or less or by the drink; or

(2) the applicant has had a criminal history background check conducted by the State Law Enforcement Division within the past thirty days."

SECTION 11. Section 61-6-2010 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 155 of 1997, is further amended to read:

"Section 61-6-2010. (A) In addition to the provisions of Section 61-6-2000, the department may issue a temporary permit to allow the possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors in sealed containers of two ounces or less. This permit is valid for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours and may be issued only to bona fide nonprofit organizations and business establishments otherwise authorized to be licensed for sales. The department shall charge a nonrefundable filing fee of one hundred dollars for processing each application and a daily permit fee of fifty dollars for each day for which a permit is approved. An application must be filed for each permit requested. The department in its sole discretion shall specify the terms and conditions of the permit.

(B)(1) The filing and permit fees must be distributed to the municipality or county in which the retailer who paid the fee is located. The revenue may be used only by the municipality or county for the following purposes:

(a) capital improvements to tourism-related buildings including, but not limited to, civic centers, convention centers, coliseums, aquariums, stadiums, marinas, parks, and recreational facilities;

(b) purchase or renovation of buildings which are historic properties as defined in Section 60-12-10(4) and (5);

(c) festivals which have a demonstrable and significant impact on tourism;

(d) local youth mentor programs to serve juvenile offenders under the jurisdiction of the family court;

(e) contributions to matching funds necessary for a local government or entity to receive funding from the Legacy Trust Fund pursuant to Chapter 22 of Title 51;

(f) contributions to a redevelopment authority pursuant to Section 31-12-10, et seq.

(g) acquiring fee and less than fee interest in land while it is still available to be held in perpetuity as wildlife preserves or believed to be needed by the public in the future for active and passive recreation uses and scenic easements, to include the following types of land: ocean, harbor, and pond frontage in the form of beaches, dunes, and adjoining backlands; barrier beaches; fresh and saltwater marshes and adjoining uplands; land for bicycle paths; land protecting existing and future; public water supply, well fields, highway buffering and aquifer recharge areas; and land for wildlife preserves; and land for future public recreational facilities;

(h) nourishment, renourishment (resanding) and maintenance of beaches;

(i) dune restoration, including the planting of grass, sea oats, or other vegetation useful in preserving the dune system;

(j) maintenance of public beach access;

(k) capital improvements to the beaches and beach related facilities, such as public parking areas for beach access; dune walkovers and rest room facilities, with or without changing rooms, at public beach parks; and

(l) construction and maintenance of drainage systems.

(2) The revenue may not be used for operating expenses of tourism-related buildings.

(C) Permits authorized by this section may be issued only in those counties or municipalities where a majority of the qualified electors voting in a referendum vote in favor of the issuance of the permits. The county or municipal election commission, as the case may be, shall conduct a referendum upon petition of at least ten percent but not more than twenty-five hundred qualified electors of the county or municipality, as the case may be, in not less than thirty nor more than forty days after receiving the petition. The election commission shall cause a notice to be published in a newspaper circulated in the county or municipality, as the case may be, at least seven days before the referendum. The state election laws shall apply to the referendum, mutatis mutandis. The election commission shall publish the results of the referendum and certify them to the South Carolina Department of Revenue. The question on the ballot shall read substantially as follows:

'Shall the South Carolina Department of Revenue be authorized to issue temporary permits in this (county)(municipality) for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours to allow the possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors in sealed containers of two ounces or less to bona fide nonprofit organizations and business establishments otherwise authorized to be licensed for sales?'

A referendum for this purpose may not be held more often than once in forty-eight months.

The expenses of any such referendum must be paid by the county or municipality conducting the referendum."

SECTION 12. Section 61-6-2200 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"Section 61-6-2200. No person may serve or deliver to a purchaser alcoholic liquors in minibottles or by the drink in a business where these sales are authorized unless the person is eighteen years of age or older; nothing contained in this section may be construed as allowing bartenders under the age of twenty-one."

SECTION 13. Section 61-6-2600 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 415 of 1996, is amended to read:

"Section 61-6-2600. A person who transports, possesses, or consumes alcoholic liquors except in a manner permitted by this article or a person who violates any of the provisions thereof is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days. In addition, a person licensed to sell alcoholic liquors pursuant to the provisions of this article who has in his possession on his licensed premises alcoholic liquors in containers other than minibottles, except wine as authorized for sale under Section 61-6-1540(B), or who displays minibottles when the seals are broken, who acts to avoid the payment of the sales tax levied on the serving of alcoholic beverages by the drink provided for in Chapter 33 of Title 12, or who violates any other provision of this article must:

(1) for a first offense be fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or have his license suspended for not more than thirty days, or both;

(2) for a second offense within three years of the first offense be fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or have his license suspended for not more than one hundred eighty days, or both;

(3) for a third offense within three years of the first offense be fined not less than five hundred dollars and have his license revoked permanently;

(4) for a violation involving the avoidance of taxes, a fine of not less than one thousand dollars and permanent revocation of his license."

SECTION 14. Section 12-33-245 of the 1976 Code is repealed.

SECTION 15. This act takes effect on the first day of the second month following ratification of an amendment to the constitution of this State authorizing the sale of liquor by the drink.

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