SB1816 • 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: Powers, McCalmon
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether the law will affect existing businesses that bottle distilled spirits but were not previously considered manufacturers under Tennessee law.

Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing Law

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to include bottling distilled spirits in the definition of manufacturing alcoholic beverages.

What This Bill Does

Changes the law to say that bottling distilled spirits is part of making alcohol.

Who It Names or Affects

People and businesses that make, bottle, or sell alcoholic drinks in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Manufacture: The process of making alcohol, including brewing high alcohol content beer, distilling spirits, rectifying spirits, bottling distilled spirits, and operating a winery.
Manufacturer: A person or business that makes alcohol, such as a brewer of high alcohol content beer, distiller, rectifier, bottler of distilled spirits, or vintner.

Limits and Unknowns

It is unclear if this law will affect existing businesses that bottle distilled spirits but were not previously considered manufacturers under Tennessee law.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
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
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026
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
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
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

HOUSE BILL 1803
By McCalmon

SENATE BILL 1816
By Powers
SB1816
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.