Senate panel advances liquor omnibus bill with wine shipping increase, one-year food‑truck pilot

Senator Klein moved Senate File 2511 as amended through the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee on March 20, 2025, and the committee approved the bill by voice vote.

The bill packages multiple liquor-related provisions the committee has previously considered. Among the changes adopted, the bill raises the annual limit on direct-to-consumer wine shipments from out‑of‑state and in‑state wineries from two cases to four cases and removes current statutory language that treated those direct-shipped wine deliveries as not in‑state sales. Senator Klein said the bill also consolidates local projects the committee heard and tabled earlier in the month.

The bill excludes one provision previously discussed in committee — a wine-transfer provision proposed by Senator Rasmussen — and removes language that had been in another vehicle-related bill that would have allowed 17‑year‑old servers in restaurants statewide. Senator Klein said the 17‑year‑old-server language remains out of the omnibus package.

A new portion of the omnibus bill creates a limited pilot for food-truck alcohol licensing. Senator Dames explained the pilot was intended to address licensing inconsistencies that arise when food sold by trucks is prepared in different locations and sometimes requires multiple liquor licenses. The pilot would run for one year, be limited to specified counties cited in the bill, and would require local city or county approval before a food truck could participate. Senator Dames said a working group on food trucks, paused during the COVID pandemic, has resumed meeting and could evaluate results from the pilot.

Senator Rasmussen offered and senators adopted an A8 amendment that bars a city from authorizing a cannabis event under the bill’s cited section at the same time the city authorizes alcohol consumption within a social district. Rasmussen said research shows adverse effects from simultaneous public alcohol and cannabis consumption and the amendment is meant to keep open cannabis consumption and social-district alcohol consumption separate.

Senator Howe and other members expressed disappointment that the 17‑year‑old server provision was not included, saying the proposal had support from some establishments and could provide opportunities for 17‑year‑olds. The committee voted to recommend the amended Senate File 2511 to pass and be sent to general orders.

The committee recorded no roll-call tally for the final motion; members adopted the motion by voice vote and the chair announced the bill was recommended to pass.