AB-344 • 2026

Alcoholic beverages: beer price posting and marketing regulations: definitions.

Crime Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Valencia
Last action: 2025-10-06
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 360, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on when the bill will start being enforced or how many entities it will affect in practice.

Beer Price Posting and Marketing Rules: Definitions

AB-344 modifies the definition of 'successor beer manufacturer' to include any person, licensed or not, who acquires rights to manufacture, import, or distribute a beer product.

What This Bill Does

Modifies the definition of 'successor beer manufacturer' to include anyone, whether they have a license or not, who gets the right to make, import, or sell a beer product.

Who It Names or Affects

Beer manufacturers who might become a 'successor beer manufacturer'.

Terms To Know

Successor Beer Manufacturer: A company or person, whether licensed or not, who takes over the rights to make, import, or sell a beer product from another company.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when it will start being enforced.
It is unclear how many people or companies this change will affect in practice.

Bill History

2025-10-06 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 360, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-06 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2412.).
2025-06-24 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-06-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
2025-06-10 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (June 10). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-05-28 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on G.O.
2025-05-20 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-19 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 1584.)
2025-05-12 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 9).
2025-03-19 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 19. Noes 0.) (March 19). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-10 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on G.O.
2025-03-06 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on G.O. Read second time and amended.
2025-02-10 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on G.O.
2025-01-30 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 1.
2025-01-29 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 344, Valencia.
Alcoholic beverages: beer price posting and marketing regulations: definitions.
Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which is administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application, issuance, and suspension of alcoholic beverage licenses. Existing law imposes requirements on a successor beer manufacturer, defined as a beer manufacturer that acquires the rights to manufacture, import, or distribute a product, who cancels any of the existing beer wholesaler’s rights to distribute the product, as provided, and defines terms for this purpose.
This bill would modify the definition of “successor beer manufacturer” to specify that a successor beer manufacturer may be a beer manufacturer or any person, as defined, whether licensed or unlicensed, who acquires the rights to manufacture, import, or distribute a product.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act provides that a violation of specified provisions of the act is a misdemeanor.
This bill, by expanding the scope of entities subject to the requirements applicable to successor beer manufacturers, would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school
districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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