LIQUOR TAX CHANGES & PROGRAMS

HB 417 redirects liquor excise tax revenue to address alcohol-related harms. It replaces the previous "DWI grant" program with a "local alcohol harms alleviation fund," distributing 94% of liquor excise tax revenue to this fund for community services. A new "tribal alcohol harms alleviation fund" receives all revenue from a proposed liquor excise surtax on retailers, specifically targeting tribal communities. The bill also excludes liquor taxes from "gross receipts" definitions in other tax laws and requires periodic legislative reviews of tax rates and distributions. These changes aim to reallocate existing tax revenue toward prevention and treatment programs rather than previous uses like drug courts or municipal grants.