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SB0192 • 2026

Alcoholic Beverages

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57, relative to alcoholic beverages.

Active

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

Sponsor
Walley, Hicks G
Last action
2026-03-30
Official status
Effective date(s) 03/25/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included details about serving samples at any age, which is not explicitly stated in the official source material. The bill summary text does not provide specific information on enforcement mechanisms or additional regulations and costs for imported products.

Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing License Changes

This bill amends Tennessee's laws to allow manufacturers with specific licenses to sell imported alcoholic beverages and serve samples of their products.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the requirements for a manufacturer’s license so that it allows selling imported alcohol if the manufacturer owns its intellectual property rights.
  • Requires these imported products to meet U.S. federal regulations and Mexican standards set by the government of Mexico and the Tequila Regulatory Council.
  • Allows manufacturers to serve samples of their products, whether made locally or imported, to visitors who can legally drink alcohol.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Manufacturers and distributors of alcoholic beverages
  • Distilleries selling spirits

Terms To Know

Intellectual Property Rights
The legal rights that a manufacturer has over the unique aspects of their product, like its design or formula.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how enforcement of these changes will occur.
  • It's unclear if there are additional regulations or costs associated with obtaining a manufacturer’s license for imported products.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0200

Plain English: The amendment allows Tennessee alcoholic beverage manufacturers to sell certain imported tequila products and samples on their premises under specific conditions.

  • Manufacturers can now sell imported tequila from Mexico that meets U.S. federal regulatory requirements and Mexican standards, as well as their own manufactured products at retail on their licensed premises.
  • The amendment sets limits on the amount of alcohol a manufacturer can sell to an individual per visit (no more than five gallons or one-sixth of a barrel).
  • Manufacturers are allowed to serve samples of their products for free or at cost, either as part of tours or in designated areas.
  • The amendment does not specify all the federal and Mexican standards that imported tequila must meet.
  • It is unclear how this change will be enforced or what penalties might apply if a manufacturer violates these new rules.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0192

Plain English: The amendment allows Tennessee alcoholic beverage manufacturers to sell certain imported tequila products and samples on their premises under specific conditions.

  • Manufacturers can now sell imported tequila that meets U.S. federal regulatory requirements and Mexican standards for distinctive products made in Mexico.
  • Manufacturers are limited to selling no more than five gallons or one-sixth of a barrel per person per visit.
  • Manufacturers may serve samples of their own products, including those imported from Mexico, at any location on the premises allowed by federal law.
  • The amendment does not specify all details about how these changes will be enforced or regulated beyond what is stated.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/25/2026

  2. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 603

  3. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 603

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  8. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 77, Nays 10, PNV 7

  9. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0612)

  10. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026

  14. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/5/2026

  15. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  17. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  18. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 4. PNV 1

  19. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0513)

  20. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026

  21. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/26/2026

  22. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 0 PNV 0

  23. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  24. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  25. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 2/17/2026

  26. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee

  28. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  29. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  30. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  31. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  34. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON FEBRUARY 26, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 192, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require a manufacture's license for the manufacturing of alcoholic spiritous beverages or vintage alcoholic beverages issued to or renewed by a manufacturer to authorize such manufacturer to sell at retail
a product for which a manufacturer owns the intellectual property rights and that the manufacturer received bottled as imported from Mexico
. Such an imported product

must be
in compliance with all United States federal regulatory requirements for the importati
on of the product and all established standards of the federal government of Mexico and the Consejo Regulador del Tequila that designate the product as a distinctive product that must be manufactured in Mexico
.

This amendment also authorizes the manufacturer to
serve samples of the product manufactured or distilled at the premises or imported and registered for distribution and sale in this state to any person of legal drinking age with or without cost or may include such samples as part of a tour of the manufac
turer's or distiller's premises available to the public with or without cost.

Present law provides that an initial or renewal distiller's license for the manufacturing of alcoholic spiritous beverages or vintage alcoholic beverages authorizes a distillery to sell
to any person of legal drinking age alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises of the distillery, other than the bonded premises, where such consumption is also permitted by federal law.
However, distilled spirits sold must be manufactured on the premises of the distillery. This amendment authorizes a distillery
to sell spirits that were lawfully obtained in addition to those manufactured on the premises.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 200
By Hicks G

SENATE BILL 192
By Walley

SB0192
000947
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57,
relative to alcoholic beverages.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 57-9-101(c), is amended by deleting
the language "two (2) credible witnesses" and substituting instead "one (1) credible witness".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.