HB 1702 — An Act amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; and, in licenses and regulations, liquor, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages, further providing for unlawful acts relative to liquor, alcohol and liquor licensees.

PRINTER'S NO.   2089

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1702
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY GOUGHNOUR, GIRAL, DEASY, FEE, MAYES, K.HARRIS,
        POWELL, GAYDOS, SANCHEZ, NEILSON AND CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
        JULY 7, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LIQUOR CONTROL, JULY 7, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled "An
 2      act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and malt and
 3      brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating and
 4      changing the laws relating thereto; regulating and
 5      restricting the manufacture, purchase, sale, possession,
 6      consumption, importation, transportation, furnishing, holding
 7      in bond, holding in storage, traffic in and use of alcoholic
 8      liquors, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages and the
 9      persons engaged or employed therein; defining the powers and
10      duties of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; providing
11      for the establishment and operation of State liquor stores,
12      for the payment of certain license fees to the respective
13      municipalities and townships, for the abatement of certain
14      nuisances and, in certain cases, for search and seizure
15      without warrant; prescribing penalties and forfeitures;
16      providing for local option, and repealing existing laws," in
17      preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions;
18      and, in licenses and regulations, liquor, alcohol and malt
19      and brewed beverages, further providing for unlawful acts
20      relative to liquor, alcohol and liquor licensees.
21      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
22   hereby enacts as follows:
23      Section 1.    The definition of "manufacture" in section 102 of
24   the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor
25   Code, is amended and the section is amended by adding a
26   definition to read:
 1      Section 102.   Definitions.--The following words or phrases,
 2   unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, shall have the
 3   meanings ascribed to them in this section:
 4      * * *
 5      "Manufacture", when the term is applied to malt or brewed
 6   beverages, shall mean and include all means, methods and
 7   processes used, employed and made use of, to produce, make and
 8   manufacture for commercial purposes, malt or brewed beverages
 9   from raw materials; when applied otherwise, it shall mean and
10   include all means, methods and processes used, employed and made
11   use of, to produce and make alcohol or liquor from raw
12   materials, and shall mean and include rectification and blending
13   of alcohol and liquor, the production, recovery or reuse of
14   alcohol in the making, developing, using in the process of
15   manufacture, denaturing, redistilling or recovering of any
16   alcohol or liquor in distilleries, denaturing plants and
17   wineries. The term shall not include the blending and storing
18   overnight by a retail licensee of alcohol and liquor into a
19   ready-to-draft pre-mixed keg cocktail.
20      * * *
21      "Ready-to-draft pre-mixed keg cocktail" shall mean a beverage
22   prepared on the licensed premises of a retail liquor licensee,
23   in which a nonalcoholic cocktail base, consisting of juices,
24   syrups, bitters, carbonated or noncarbonated water or other
25   flavorings, is combined with liquor in a sealed keg or similar
26   container for the purpose of dispensing cocktails for on-
27   premises consumption using a gas-driven system.
28      * * *
29      Section 2.   Section 491(4) of the act is amended to read:
30      Section 491.   Unlawful Acts Relative to Liquor, Alcohol and

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 1   Liquor Licensees.--
 2      It shall be unlawful--
 3      * * *
 4      (4)   Possession and Use of Decanters. For any person to use
 5   decanters of alcoholic beverages except that the use of
 6   decanters or other similar receptacles by licensees shall be
 7   permitted in the case of wines and then only in accordance with
 8   the regulations of the board, but nothing herein contained shall
 9   prohibit the manufacture and possession of wine as provided in
10   clause (2) of this section. For purposes of this clause, "other
11   similar receptacles" shall not include the keg or any containers
12   used in making ready-to-draft pre-mixed keg cocktails as defined
13   in section 102.
14      * * *
15      Section 3.     This act shall take effect immediately.




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