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Committee approves bill to allow grocery delivery of beer and wine with ABC oversight
Summary
Senate Bill 98 was advanced by a House committee after testimony describing a framework that would allow ABC-licensed retailers and third-party delivery companies to deliver beer and wine to consumers 21 and older, with ID checks, recordkeeping and ABC oversight; opponents raised enforcement, liability and cross-county delivery concerns.
A House committee voted to advance Senate Bill 98, a measure to permit delivery of beer and wine by Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)-licensed retailers and ABC-licensed third‑party delivery companies, after sponsors and opponents debated training, age verification and enforcement.
Representative John Maddox introduced the bill and said it is modeled on Texas delivery legislation passed in 2021. Maddox and Mary Robin Casteel, an ABC representative who joined him at the table, said the bill does not expand retail permits, does not authorize delivery into dry counties and applies only to beer and wine, not distilled spirits.
Casteel told the committee the bill would require third‑party delivery permit holders to train delivery drivers at least once a year and to verify recipients’ age at delivery. She said drivers would be required to check and scan identification at handoff and that permit holders would be subject to ABC jurisdiction, including record retention showing who the driver was, the route and the transaction.
Opponents included John Kelly, a Saline County liquor-store owner, who expressed concern about enforcement and liability when national platform companies (he named DoorDash and referred to Walmart and Amazon) contract with independent drivers. Kelly said Texas limits distance from the selling store in its delivery law and that the Arkansas bill would allow cross-county delivery; he asked how ABC would enforce delivery to places within wet counties where alcohol is prohibited (for example a park) and raised questions about independent-contractor liability and digital-record reliability.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about age-verification procedures and training. Representative Maddox and Casteel said the bill requires identity checks at delivery and annual training approved by ABC; Casteel said the delivery provisions create a stricter verification regime than current in-store sales rules because a scanned ID and retained records would be available to ABC.
Representative Maddox moved that SB98 be given a do-pass recommendation; the motion carried on a committee voice vote. The transcript shows the motion and voice approval but does not record a roll-call tally in the hearing excerpt.
