LD1376 • 2025

An Act to Increase the Acceptable Level of Alcohol in a Low-alcohol Spirits Product and to Increase Availability of Those Products

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Sponsor: Senator Craig Hickman
Last action: 2025-06-09
Official status: On motion by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland The Senate INSISTED on ACCEPTANCE of The Minority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-207) and PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-207) Sent down for concurrence
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Increase the Acceptable Level of Alcohol in a Low-alcohol Spirits Product and to Increase Availability of Those Products

An Act to Increase the Acceptable Level of Alcohol in a Low-alcohol Spirits Product and to Increase Availability of Those Products Sponsor: Senator Craig Hickman Reference committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

What This Bill Does

An Act to Increase the Acceptable Level of Alcohol in a Low-alcohol Spirits Product and to Increase Availability of Those Products Sponsor: Senator Craig Hickman Reference committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

C-A (S-207)

Adopted by Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR1799(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

Page 1 - 132LR1799(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
1376 2 Date: (Filing No.
S- ) 3VETERANS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.
5STATE OF MAINE 6SENATE 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to S.P.

Bill History

2025-06-09 House
The House INSISTED on ACCEPTANCE of the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report. ROLL CALL NO. 353 (Yeas 81 - Nays 58 - Absent 10 - Excused 2) ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. Placed in the Legislative Files. ( DEAD )
2025-06-04 Senate
On motion by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland The Senate INSISTED on ACCEPTANCE of The Minority Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-207) and PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-207) Sent down for concurrence
2025-05-30 Committee
Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM
2025-04-30 Committee
Work Session Held
2025-04-30 Committee
Voted; Divided Report
2025-03-28 Committee
Referred to Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Increase the Acceptable Level of Alcohol in a Low-alcohol Spirits Product and to Increase Availability of Those Products
Sponsor:
Senator Craig Hickman
Reference committee:
Veterans and Legal Affairs
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1376
S.P. 570 In Senate, April 1, 2025
An Act to Increase the Acceptable Level of Alcohol in a Low-alcohol
Spirits Product and to Increase Availability of Those Products
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on March 28, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec.

Page 1 - 132LR1799(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 28-A MRSA §2, sub-§16-A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 658, §18, is further
3 amended to read:
416-A. Low-alcohol spirits product. "Low-alcohol spirits product" means a product
5 containing spirits that has more than 1/2 of 1% of alcohol by volume but no more than 8%
6 15% of alcohol by volume. Beginning July 1, 2019, "low-alcohol spirits product" does not
7 mean a flavoring, such as an extract or concentrate, added to a malt beverage or wine that:
8 A. May or may not contain alcohol;
9 B. Is not intended to be consumed alone as a beverage or a food product but serves as
10 a flavor enhancement to a beverage or a food product; and
11 C. Is not, prior to being added to a malt beverage or wine, subject to excise tax under
12 chapter 65.
13Sec. 2. 28-A MRSA §13, as repealed and replaced by PL 2021, c. 658, §49, is
14 amended to read:
15§13. Low-alcohol spirits products sold by malt liquor or wine licensees
161. Retail sales. Notwithstanding any provision of this Title to the contrary, a person
17 licensed to sell malt liquor or wine for on-premises or off-premises consumption may also
18 sell low-alcohol spirits products. All provisions of this Title applicable to malt liquor or
19 wine, except chapters 65 and 67, apply to low-alcohol spirits products when sold by persons
20 licensed to sell malt liquor or wine for on-premises or off-premises consumption.
212. Wholesale sales. Notwithstanding any provision of this Title to the contrary, a
22 person licensed under section 1401 as an in-state wholesaler of malt liquor or wine may
23 also sell and distribute low-alcohol spirits products.
24SUMMARY
25 This bill amends the definition of "low-alcohol spirits products" for the laws regarding
26 liquor by raising the maximum level of alcohol by volume of a low-alcohol spirits product
27 from 8% to 15%. The bill also provides that a low-alcohol spirits product may be sold by
28 a person licensed to sell malt liquor for on-premises and off-premises consumption. It
29 authorizes in-state wholesalers of malt liquor to sell and distribute low-alcohol spirits
30 products.
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