SB 1044 Oklahoma Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Alcoholic beverages; allowing certain payment methods; establishing certain EFT payments. Effective date.

SB 1044 requires all payments for alcoholic beverages between retailers (like bars or stores) and wholesalers to be made via electronic funds transfer (EFT), eliminating cash, checks, or credit cards for these transactions. It mandates that EFT payments must be processed by the next business day after delivery, with specific rules for chain retailers to track payments per location. The bill updates Oklahoma statutes (37A O.S. 2021 Sections 3-119 and 6-103) to enforce this, allowing limited exceptions only for product replacement due to breakage or cork-taint. This directly affects licensed alcohol retailers and wholesalers who must comply with the new payment method.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Last action Feb 25, 2025

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What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated from a Committee Substitute version to the Senate Floor version, incorporating amendments that clarify licensing requirements for wine and spirits wholesalers. Key changes include adding a new provision allowing wholesalers to sell spirits manufactured by specific distillers, modifying bonded warehouse limits from three to maintaining up to three self-owned or leased warehouses, and updating payment methods to explicitly prohibit credit card acceptance while allowing electronic funds transfers. The bill also expanded restrictions on wholesalers regarding credit extensions to retailers and clarified exceptions for consignment sales.

Scope change

The bill's scope was slightly expanded to include specific provisions about selling spirits manufactured by particular distillers and clarified rules regarding bonded warehouse operations and payment methods.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new provision allowing wholesalers to sell spirits manufactured by specific distillers that have been unloaded at bonded warehouse facilities before sale.

Clarified bonded warehouse limits, specifying that wholesalers may maintain up to three self-owned or leased and self-operated bonded warehouses within the state.

Updated payment methods to explicitly prohibit credit card acceptance while maintaining allowance for electronic fund transfers, cash, checks, and money orders.

ENFORCEMENT

Expanded restrictions on credit extensions to retailers, specifying that accepting postdated checks or failing to deposit current checks within two banking days constitutes an extension of credit subject to license suspension.

DEFINITION

Added specific exceptions to consignment sale restrictions, including good faith delivery mistakes, product breakage during transit, and cork-tainted wine replacements.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Business and Insurance committee; CR filed

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors