Representative Sara Hoadley introduced House Bill 5059 to allow licensed spirit vendors to offer custom bottle engraving services under regulatory safeguards. Tony Mitchell, executive with the Michigan Spirits Association (MSA), told the committee engraving is a value-added retail service in many states and that suppliers invest in engraving machines ("most times cost more than $10,000 each") and mobile vans to perform on-site engraving at events.

Mitchell said the spirits industry brings more than "$600,000,000 a year" to Michigan and that the bill "clarifies a practice that's been in existence for years by codifying it" rather than changing who may sell spirits or where sales may occur. Under current wording discussed in the hearing, an engraved bottle sold to a consumer must be purchased prior to engraving; the bill would permit bottles engraved for generic sale as allowed by the statute’s language.

Committee members asked whether bottles have to be sold before engraving and whether customers could order engraving from out-of-state vendors. Mitchell said a consumer must purchase the bottle first and that out-of-state engraving would generally be constrained by existing rules on out-of-state shipments; he also noted the practice is popular with consumers and can lead to incremental sales, sometimes for bottles that remain unopened as commemorative items. Several industry groups filed support cards and the Michigan Liquor Control Commission provided a support card and was available for questions but was not called.