Senate OKs Bill to Amend Reporting Requirement on Alcohol Sales

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, the Senate approved legislation to amend a new reporting requirement on alcohol sales in the state, limiting the requirement to only Class A liquors licensees (retailers).

The legislation, 2013-S 0025A, was introduced by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, East Greenwich,West Greenwich) and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The reporting requirement was included as part of the State Budget for the current fiscal year that was signed into law last June.

Senator Raptakis, in introducing legislation to repeal the requirement, called it “burdensome to businesses” and said restaurant and bar owners received notification from the Division of Taxation early in January that they had until Feb. 1 to provide this new report, a detailed two-page form that requires businesses to compile their total alcoholic beverage sales for the previous year. Currently, restaurants and bars have to file a monthly form detailing their total sales, both food and beverage.

The legislation approved Tuesday by the Senate, if passed by the House and enacted into law, will absolve bars and restaurants from the reporting requirement. Class A license holders would still be required to file the report.

A bill calling for full repeal of the reporting requirement, similar to the original Raptakis legislation, has been introduced in the House. That bill, 2013-H 5031, by Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick, Coventry, Warwick), has had one hearing by the House Committee on Finance.

The Raptakis legislation was co-sponsored by Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence), Sen. Michael J. McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick), Sen. Dennis L. Algiere (R-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown) and Sen. Erin P. Lynch (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston).