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H 7664Alcohol

Alcoholic Beverages - Retail Licenses

Allows licensed caterers to buy alcohol from wholesalers and permits homeowners to supply their own alcohol for catered residential events.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
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Introduced Feb 11, 2026Committee House Small Business

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the regulations regarding Class P (catering) liquor licenses in Rhode Island. It allows licensed caterers to purchase alcoholic beverages directly from wholesalers, removing the previous requirement to purchase from retail establishments unless they held a specific additional license. The bill permits wholesalers to set minimum order quantities or refuse orders. Additionally, it modifies the rules for events at private residences, allowing the event host to provide the alcohol themselves, provided the alcohol remains under the control of the caterer while they are onsite.

For younger readers

This bill changes the rules for catering companies that serve drinks at parties. Before, these companies usually had to buy their drinks from regular stores, just like you would. Now, they are allowed to buy drinks in big shipments from warehouses (wholesalers) to save money. Also, if a family has a party at their own house, they are now allowed to buy the drinks themselves instead of the catering company bringing them. However, the catering company still has to be the one serving the drinks to make sure everyone stays safe.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
CaterersAlcohol WholesalersClass A Liquor RetailersHomeownersEvent Hosts
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Supports small business equity by allowing independent caterers to access wholesale pricing, lowering their operating costs and leveling the playing field with larger venues.
  • Reduces financial barriers for working-class families hosting events at home by allowing them to purchase their own alcohol rather than paying catering markups.
  • Removes arbitrary regulatory hurdles that previously forced businesses to utilize a middleman (retailers) unnecessarily, streamlining economic efficiency.
  • Could negatively impact small, local liquor stores (Class A retailers) by shifting bulk catering purchases away from them to large corporate wholesalers.
  • The provision allowing wholesalers to refuse orders or set minimums could disadvantage smaller, minority-owned, or starting catering businesses that lack high volume.
  • Allowing private residences to stock the bar introduces a potential variable in alcohol safety oversight compared to a strictly closed, licensee-controlled inventory system.
For Conservatives
  • Promotes free market principles by removing government restrictions on where a private business is allowed to purchase its inventory.
  • Strengthens property rights and personal liberty by allowing homeowners to supply their own beverages for events held on their own private property.
  • Reduces business costs for caterers, encouraging growth, profitability, and competition within the hospitality sector.
  • Allows wholesalers to arbitrarily refuse service or set minimums, which could distort the market and harm small business owners.
  • Undermines the established business model of local Class A liquor retailers, potentially harming established main street businesses.
  • Continues to mandate state licensing and oversight for private transactions, rather than moving toward full deregulation of the industry.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 9 additions · 3 deletions

SECTION 1. Section 3-7-14.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 3-7 entitled "Retail Licenses" is hereby amended to read as follows: 3-7-14.2. Class P licenses — Caterers.

(a) A caterer licensed by the department of health and the division of taxation shall be eligible to apply for a Class P license from the department of business regulation. The department of business regulation is authorized to issue all caterers’ licenses. The license will be valid throughout this state as a state license and no further license will be required or tax imposed by any city or town upon this alcoholic beverage privilege. Each caterer to which the license is issued shall pay to the department of business regulation an annual fee of five hundred dollars ($500) for the license, which fees are paid into the state treasury. The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of this license. In promulgating said rules, the department shall include, but is not limited to, the following standards:

(1) Proper identification will be required for individuals who look thirty (30) years old or younger and who are ordering alcoholic beverages;

(2) Only valid ID’s as defined by these titles are acceptable;

(3) An individual may not be served more than two (2) drinks at a time;

(4) Licensees, their agents, or employees will not serve visibly intoxicated individuals;

(5) Licensees may only serve alcoholic beverages for no more than a five-hour (5) period per event;

(6) Only a licensee, or its employees, may serve alcoholic beverages at the event;

(7) The licensee will deliver and remove alcoholic beverages to the event, unless provided by the event host at their residence and the alcohol is under the control of the caterer for the entire period of time the caterer is onsite; and

(8) No shots or triple alcoholic drinks will be served.

(b) Any bartender employed by the licensee shall be certified by a nationally recognized alcohol beverage server training program.

(c) The licensee shall purchase at retail or wholesale all alcoholic beverages from a licensed Class A alcohol retail or wholesale establishment which is located in the state, provided, however, any licensee who also holds a Class B license, issued pursuant to the provisions of § 3-7-7, shall be allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages at wholesale. Wholesalers may refuse to fulfill orders permitted under this section, or may set minimum quantities or dollar values per order. Any person violating this section shall be fined five hundred dollars ($500) for this violation and shall be subject to license revocation. The provisions of this section shall be enforced in accordance with this title.

(d) Violation of subsection (a) of this section is punishable upon conviction by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500). Fines imposed under this section shall be paid to the department of business regulation.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.