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HB384 • 2026

Alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials, purchase and display of barrels.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact § 4.1-216.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials; purchase and display of barrels.</p>

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Bennett-Parker
Last action
2026-02-18
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or consequences for violations.

Alcoholic Beverage Control; Advertising Materials and Barrel Display

This law allows retail stores that sell alcohol to receive the barrel or lid of a distilled spirits barrel along with its contents when they buy it from a manufacturer, and permits them to display these items in their store.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows a retail licensee to elect to receive the physical barrel or lid in addition to purchasing the bottled contents of a distilled spirits barrel from a manufacturer through a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.
  • Specifies that receiving the barrel or lid is not considered a gift and may be displayed on the retail licensee's premises.
  • Requires the retail licensee to comply with all terms and conditions set forth in the barrel purchase agreement.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Retail stores that sell alcohol
  • Manufacturers of distilled spirits barrels

Terms To Know

Authorized vendor
A person who is allowed by a manufacturer to sell or distribute items with the manufacturer's alcoholic beverage trademarks.
Retail licensee
A retail store that has permission from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to sell alcohol.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a retail licensee violates the terms and conditions of the barrel purchase agreement.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced or monitored by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-18 House

    Left in Committee Education

  2. 2026-02-18 House

    Left in Committee General Laws

  3. 2026-01-27 ABC/Gaming

    Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (9-Y 0-N)

  4. 2026-01-20 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB384)

  5. 2026-01-19 ABC/Gaming

    Assigned HGL sub: ABC/Gaming

  6. 2026-01-12 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102118D

  7. 2026-01-12 General Laws

    Referred to Committee on General Laws

Official Summary Text

Alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials; purchase and display of barrels.
Allows a retail licensee to elect to receive the physical barrel or lid in addition to purchasing the bottled contents of a distilled spirits barrel from a manufacturer through a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. The bill provides that such physical barrel or lid shall not be considered a gift and may be displayed on the retail licensee's premises.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
A BILL to amend and reenact §
4.1-216.1
of the Code of Virginia, relating to alcoholic beverage control; advertising materials; purchase and display of barrels.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
4.1-216.1
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
4.1-216.1
. Point-of-sale advertising materials authorized under certain conditions; civil penalties.

A. As used in this section:

"Alcoholic beverage advertising material" or "advertising material" means any item, other than an illuminated device, which contains one or more references to a brand of alcoholic beverage and which is used to promote the sale of alcoholic beverages within the interior of a licensed retail establishment and which otherwise complies with Board regulations.

"Authorized vendor" or "vendor" means any person, other than a wholesale wine or beer licensee, that a manufacturer has authorized to engage in a business consisting in whole or in part of the sale and distribution of any articles of tangible personal property bearing any of the manufacturer's alcoholic beverage trademarks.

"Manufacturer" means any brewery, winery, distillery, bottler, broker, importer and any person that a brewery, winery, or distiller has authorized to sell or arrange for the sale of its products to wholesale wine and beer licensees in Virginia or, in the case of spirits, to the Board.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of §
4.1-215
or
4.1-216
and Board regulations adopted thereunder, a manufacturer or its authorized vendor and a wholesale wine and beer licensee may lend, buy for, or give to a retail licensee any alcoholic beverage advertising material made of paper, cardboard, canvas, rubber, foam, or plastic, provided the advertising materials have a wholesale value of $40 or less per item.

C.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of this subtitle or
Board regulations adopted thereunder, a retail licensee may elect to receive the physical barrel or lid in addition to purchasing the bottled contents of a distilled spirits barrel from a manufacturer through a barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Authority. Such physical barrel or lid shall not be considered a gift and
may
be displayed
on
the retail licensee
'
s premises.
A retail licensee who purchases the contents of a distilled spirits barrel,
physical
barrel, or lid
shall be responsible for complying with all terms and conditions set forth i
n
a
barrel purchase agreement supplied to the Authority.

D.
Alcoholic beverage advertising materials, other than those authorized by subsection B to be given to a retailer, may be displayed by a retail licensee in the interior of its licensed establishment provided:

1. The wholesale value of the advertising material does not exceed $250 per item, and

2. The advertising material is not obtained from a manufacturer, its authorized vendor, or any wholesale wine or beer licensee.

A retail licensee shall retain for at least two years a record of its procurement of, including any payments for, such advertising materials along with an invoice or sales ticket containing a description of the item so purchased or otherwise procured.

D.
E.
Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, a retail licensee shall not display in the interior of its licensed establishment any alcoholic beverage advertising materials, other than those that may be lawfully obtained and displayed in accordance with this section or Board regulation.

E.
F.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any advertising materials permitted under Board regulations in effect on January 1, 2007.