Representative Cyndi Stevenson of St. Johns County filed a companion bill in the house, HB 141, along with one filed in the state senate two weeks earlier, SB 166. The bills are aimed at easing restrictions on small distillers of spirits in the state.
The new bill would allow for a reduction in the annual license fee for craft distilleries, removal of individual container limits on sales in on-site gift shops or local sales rooms, and provide for an increase in the annual production limit for qualification as a craft distillery from 75,000 gallons to 250,000 gallons.
“This bill frees craft distilleries from unnecessary regulations and allows them to continue to grow” Stevenson said in a recent release. “Already we see the potential of craft distilleries in Florida’s economy. They not only create good jobs, but also support Florida’s farmers and invigorate historic districts. I look forward to working with Senator Steube on this bill.”
Source: Jacksonville.com, January 2017