26RS HB 612

House Bill 612

Actions

Last Action	02/10/26: to Committee on Committees (H)
Title	AN ACT relating to regulated substances and declaring an emergency.
Bill Documents	Introduced
Fiscal Impact Statements	Corrections Impact Local Mandate
Bill Request Number	44
Sponsor	M. Koch
Summary of Original Version	Create a new section of KRS Chapter 138 to define terms; impose a 4% state retail regulatory license fee on all alcoholic beverage sales to consumers by alcoholic beverage retailers; establish procedures and duties of retailers; establish KRS Chapter 243A and create new sections thereof to impose state wholesale regulatory license fees on alcoholic beverages, state retail regulatory license fees on kratom, hemp-derived, and cannabinoid products, and penalties for violations; set out regulatory license fee rates, deductions for timely filing and payment, and licensee duties; amend KRS 211.285 to fund the alcohol wellness and responsibility education fund with 0.5% of the collected state retail regulatory license fees; amend KRS 241.010 to define "state or national conference" and redefine "alcoholic beverages"; amend KRS 241.069 to delete outdated language; amend various sections of KRS Chapter 243 to establish state license fees for new and existing license types; limit licensee discipline to only the specific license in question; establish a souvenir package license for distillers; authorize distillers, small farm wineries, and microbreweries to allow leashed dogs on their premises; allow caterers and special temporary auction licensees at state and national conferences; modify the privileges for various licensees, including a limited golf course, wholesaler, Class B distiller, and special agent or solicitor; allow a qualified historic site to sell alcoholic beverages by the package under a limited nonquota package license; add references to the new tax structure and statutes; modify requirements for public notice of a license application; sunset existing excise, wholesale, and other taxes on July 1, 2027, as they relate to alcoholic beverages; repeal and reenact KRS 243.075, relating to local regulatory license fees, to allow any moist or wet city or county to impose the fee; authorize audits of each city's or county's regulatory license fee fund by the Auditor of Public Accounts for the most recent 10 years; describe audit penalties for cities and counties that fail to substantially comply; establish the regulatory license fee audit fund; direct cities and counties to reduce the regulatory license fee to 3% within 4 years; limit future cities and counties to a 1% regulatory license fee; amend KRS 244.080 to permanently prohibit a retail license from using a premises if the licensee sold to minors at that premises 3 or more times in 24 months; amend KRS 244.585 to establish limitations for agreements between distributors and breweries or microbreweries; amend KRS 131.250, 139.010, 243.045, 243.430, 243.790, 243.850, and 243.990 to conform; EFFECTIVE, in part, July 1, 2027; EMERGENCY.
Index Headings of Original Version	Alcoholic Beverages - Alcoholic beverages bill, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Auditor Of Public Accounts - Local regulatory license fees, city and county accounts Contracts - Malt beverage distribution agreements, restrictions Distilled Spirits - Alcoholic beverages bill, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Drugs And Medicines - Taxation, kratom and hemp-derived cannabinoid products Effective Dates, Delayed - Alcoholic beverages, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Effective Dates, Emergency - Alcoholic beverages, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Fees - Alcoholic beverages, licenses Foods And Beverages - Taxation, hemp-derived cannabinoid products Funds - Regulatory license fee audit fund, local governments, creation Licensing - Alcoholic beverages bill, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Local Government - Alcoholic beverages, local regulatory license fees Malt Beverages - Alcoholic beverages bill, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Sunset Legislation - Alcoholic beverages, taxation, modification Taxation - Alcohol and regulated substances, taxation, modification Taxation, Sales And Use - Alcohol and regulated substances, taxation, modification Trade Practices And Retailing - Alcoholic beverages, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Wine And Wineries - Alcoholic beverages, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Corrections Impact - Alcoholic beverages bill, licensing and taxation, omnibus bill Local Mandate - Regulatory license fee audit fund, local governments, creation