HB1589

House Bill 1589 seeks to amend Arkansas state law regarding the regulation of alcoholic beverages. The primary action of the bill is the repeal of Arkansas Code § 3-4-609. This existing section currently prohibits the issuance of new wholesaler permits for alcoholic beverages that were not already held or issued on or before September 1, 2013. By repealing this statute, the bill removes the long-standing limitation on the issuance of new wholesale permits in the state. Effectively, this change permits the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division to resume issuing new wholesaler permits, which has been restricted for approximately a decade.