SENATE BILL 81

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Sue Wilson Beffort

FOR THE REVENUE STABILIZATION AND TAX POLICY COMMITTEE

AN ACT

RELATING TO TAXATION; INCREASING THE VOLUME LIMIT FOR MICROBREWERS FOR PURPOSES OF THE LIQUOR EXCISE TAX.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 7-17-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1966, Chapter 49, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:

     "7-17-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Liquor Excise Tax Act:

          A. "alcoholic beverages" means distilled or rectified spirits, potable alcohol, brandy, whiskey, rum, gin, aromatic bitters or any similar beverage, including blended or fermented beverages, dilutions or mixtures of one or more of the foregoing containing more than one-half of one percent alcohol by volume, but "alcoholic beverages" does not include medicinal bitters;

          B. "beer" means an alcoholic beverage obtained by the fermentation of any infusion or decoction of barley, malt and hops or other cereals in water and includes porter, beer, ale and stout;

          C. "cider" means an alcoholic beverage made from the normal alcoholic fermentation of the juice of sound, ripe apples that contains not less than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume and not more than seven percent of alcohol by volume;

          D. "department" means the taxation and revenue department, the secretary of taxation and revenue or any employee of the department exercising authority lawfully delegated to that employee by the secretary;

          E. "fortified wine" means wine containing more than fourteen percent alcohol by volume when bottled or packaged by the manufacturer, but "fortified wine" does not include:

                (1) wine that is sealed or capped by cork closure and aged two years or more;

                (2) wine that contains more than fourteen percent alcohol by volume solely as a result of the natural fermentation process and that has not been produced with the addition of wine spirits, brandy or alcohol; or

                (3) vermouth and sherry; 

          F. "microbrewer" means a person who produces fewer than [five] fifteen thousand barrels of beer in a year;

          G. "person" includes, to the extent permitted by law, a federal, state or other governmental unit or subdivision or an agency, department, institution or instrumentality thereof;

          H. "small winegrower" means a winegrower who produces fewer than nine hundred fifty thousand liters of wine in a year;

          I. "spirituous liquor" means alcoholic beverages, except fermented beverages such as wine, beer, cider and ale;

          J. "wholesaler" means a person holding a license issued under Section 60-6A-1 NMSA 1978 or a person selling alcoholic beverages that were not purchased from a person holding a license issued under Section 60-6A-1 NMSA 1978;

          K. "wine" means an alcoholic beverage other than cider that is obtained by the fermentation of the natural sugar contained in fruit or other agricultural products, with or without the addition of sugar or other products, and that does not contain more than twenty-one percent alcohol by volume; and

          L. "winegrower" means a person licensed pursuant to Section 60-6A-11 NMSA 1978."

     SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2013.

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