Want alcoholic beverages delivered to your home? A SC Senate bill would allow it
Some South Carolina lawmakers are trying to make it easier for residents to buy alcoholic beverages, but tougher for bartenders to serve the drinks.
Two proposals — S. 260 and S. 425 — sailed through a Senate Judiciary panel Tuesday, paving the way for consumers to purchase alcohol, beer and wine via curbside pickup or home delivery, while requiring bartenders and delivery drivers to undergo certification and training.
“This bill would bring South Carolina into the growing group of states that acknowledge the shift in commerce allowing customers to choose how they receive their products,” said Krista Hinson, executive director of the South Carolina Retail Association.
This isn’t the first time lawmakers have tried to legalize delivery of beer, wine and alcohol in South Carolina. It’s a measure that, in part, was temporarily granted by Gov. Henry McMaster in 2020.
At the start of the state’s COVID-19 outbreak, McMaster loosened regulations on alcohol sales to help limit foot traffic inside of liquor stores and other businesses to lessen customers’ chances of contracting or spreading the disease. The loosened regulation, which ended in June 2021, only applied to beer and wine, excluding liquor, and was limited to curbside, not home delivery.
S. 425 would again allow curbside delivery of beer and wine, while expanding the law to include home delivery of any alcoholic beverage, including liquor. The proposal is largely a resurgence of a similar measure that passed the S.C. House two years ago.
Under the proposal, filed by state Sen. Scott Talley, R-Spartanburg, South Carolinains could get same-day delivery of beer and wine from the same companies that deliver groceries. The bill would also allow customers to purchase alcohol through mobile apps like Drizly, Saucey or Minibar.
Every delivery driver would have to be at least 21 years old, go through a background check, certification and training. The driver would also have to check a customer’s ID to ensure they are 21 or older and not intoxicated when the liquor, beer or wine is delivered.
In the past, critics of the measure have argued that by relaxing alcohol sales, more underage drinking could result, with some lawmakers echoing the concern on Tuesday.
But Chad Horrell, senior manager of government relations for Door Dash, assured lawmakers Tuesday that his company would take extra measures to ensure that consumers who use the service for alcohol delivery are at least 21.
“Our policies that we have in place right now, before you actually place the order on the platform, you must upload your ID,” Horrell said. He added a customer must present their ID for a second time when the delivery driver arrives before receiving the order.
As a companion to S. 425, The Responsible Alcohol Server Training Act (S. 260) would stiffen regulations on those who serve liquor at any establishment licensed to sell alcohol, such as bars and restaurants.
The measure would mandate that bartenders and their managers sit for a training course (in-person or online) to receive an “alcohol training certificate.” Training programs would cost no more than $35 and would have to be repeated every three years. This requirement also applies to managers who supervise bartenders.
“I do have pretty serious concerns about erecting a barrier to entry into an occupation that is otherwise an early rung on the economic ladder for a lot of people,” said state Sen. Wes Climer, R-York. “And a four-hour course, and a $35 fee and a $15 (renewal) fee for a single mom who’s just trying to earn a paycheck and raise her kids seems like a barrier in excess of its public health benefit.”
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 5:11 PM.
