HB1803 • 2026

Alcoholic Beverages

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57, Chapter 3, relative to manufacturing of alcohol.

Elections

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: McCalmon, Powers
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Comp. SB subst.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether the bill changes licensing or tax requirements, so these statements were removed.

Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing Act

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to include bottling distilled spirits as part of manufacturing alcoholic beverages and adds bottlers of distilled spirits to the list of manufacturers.

What This Bill Does

Changes the definition of 'manufacture' to include bottling distilled spirits.
Adds bottlers of distilled spirits to the list of manufacturers.

Who It Names or Affects

Manufacturers who bottle distilled spirits in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

manufacture: The process of making alcoholic beverages, including brewing high alcohol content beer, distilling and rectifying spirits, bottling spirits, and operating a winery.
manufacturer: A person or company that makes alcoholic beverages such as brewers, distillers, rectifiers, bottlers of distilled spirits, and vintners.

Limits and Unknowns

It is unclear how this change will affect existing regulations or enforcement by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/9/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/3/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Govenrment Committee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law
provides that i
t is lawful to manufacture

alcoholic beverages or wine subject to proper licensing, payment of taxes, compliance with the limitation, regulations
,
and conditions provided in
state law
, in counties or municipalities of this state that by local option elections so
permit. Likewise, it is
lawful to transport alcoholic beverages through such counties in which no local option election is held, or if the election is held and the majority of votes cast therein are against local option, if, in eithe
r such case, such beverages are in sealed bottles or containers, and are moving from a duly licensed manufacturer to a licensed wholesaler, or from a wholesaler to a licensed retailer, and such shipment is accompanied by a bill of lading or other instrume
nt in writing showing the destination of such alcoholic beverages
. The alcoholic beverage commission has
the authority
to
enforce
such law.

Present law defines "manufacture" as
brewing high alcohol content beer, distilling, rectifying
,
and operating a winery
. This bill clarifies that distilling and rectifying is in relation to distilled spirits, and adds bottling distilled spirits to the definition.

Present law defines a "manufacturer" as
a brewer of high alcohol content beer, distiller, vintner
,
and rectifier
. This bill adds a bottler of distilled spirits to the list.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1816
By Powers

HOUSE BILL 1803
By McCalmon
HB1803
011563
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57,
Chapter 3, relative to manufacturing of alcohol.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 57-3-101, is amended by deleting
subdivisions (a)(13) and (a)(14) and substituting instead:
(13) "Manufacture" means:
(A) Brewing high alcohol content beer;
(B) Distilling distilled spirits;
(C) Rectifying distilled spirits;
(D) Bottling distilled spirits; or
(E) Operating a winery;
(14) "Manufacturer" means:
(A) A brewer of high alcohol content beer;
(B) A distiller;
(C) A rectifier;
(D) A bottler of distilled spirits; or
(E) A vintner;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.