SCRLA Tackles Alcohol Regs

The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (SCRLA) is actively championing efforts to modernize the state’s antiquated alcohol laws and regulations. Additionally, we are advocating for significant lawsuit reforms to curb the rising prevalence of frivolous lawsuits that are causing liquor liability insurance premiums to escalate at an alarming rate statewide. It is important to recognize that these concerns extend beyond the realms of restaurants and lodging establishments; they have far-reaching implications on convention centers, business travel, festivals, concerts, wedding receptions, as well as fraternal organizations like VFW posts, just to mention a few examples. In response to this growing dilemma, the SCRLA has created an ad-hoc Alcohol Task Force to address the challenges our industry is facing regarding the current state laws and regulations which govern alcohol, as well as to provide recommendations to policy makers of potential solutions, with the hope of providing relief for our membership and our industry. The task force is actively engaged in fostering a collaborative partnership with significant stakeholders from various segments of the industry and the state-level. These stakeholders encompass distinguished members of the General Assembly, the South Carolina Department of Revenue (DOR), the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, and the South Carolina Department of Insurance, among others.

The task force has made notable headway by conducting multiple meetings with officials from the Alcohol, Beverage & License Division of DOR. The purpose of these meetings was to address certain perplexing interpretations made by the Department regarding caterers and their involvement in the service, transportation, and storage of alcohol. Furthermore, the discussions also covered the licensing and special event permitting procedure in a general sense. While the members of the Task Force continue to work on a regulatory solution to these significant challenges, they will also continue to push the General Assembly to reduce the state-mandated $1 million insurance minimum for any business that serves beer,