25503.31. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, a beer manufacturer, holder of a winegrower’s license, a California winegrower’s agent, a distilled spirits manufacturer, holder of a distilled spirits rectifiers general license, a distilled spirits manufacturer’s agent, and a licensed retailer may make monetary contributions or alcoholic beverage contributions of the type that licensee is authorized to sell to a symphony association, if all the following conditions are met:
(1) The symphony association is a nonprofit charitable corporation or association exempt from payment of income taxes under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 23701) of Part 11 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(2) The symphony association has been incorporated in the City and County of San Francisco by and through its predecessor organizations for not less than 99 years and produces not less than 175 musical events open to the general public per symphony season.
(3) The symphony association holds a retail on-sale license in a portion of its premises, provided that no contribution shall be used in or for the benefit of the symphony association’s retail on-sale license.
(4) The contribution shall not be conditioned directly or indirectly, in any way, on the purchase, sale, or distribution of any alcoholic beverage manufactured or distributed by the beer manufacturer, holder of a winegrower’s license, California winegrower’s agent, distilled spirits manufacturer, holder of a distilled spirits rectifiers general license, a distilled spirits manufacturer’s agent, or a licensed retailer by the symphony association.
(b) The symphony association shall serve other brands of beer distributed by a competing beer wholesaler in addition to the brand manufactured or marketed by the contributing beer manufacturer, other brands of wine distributed by a competing wine wholesaler in addition to the brand produced or marketed by the contributing winegrower or California winegrower’s agent, and other brands of distilled spirits distributed by a competing distilled spirits wholesaler in addition to the brand manufactured or marketed by the contribution distilled spirits manufacturer or distilled spirits manufacturer’s agent.
(c) For purposes of this section, “beer manufacturer” includes a holder of a beer manufacturer’s license, a holder of an out-of-state beer manufacturer’s certificate, or a holder of a beer and wine importer’s general license.
(d) The Legislature finds that it is necessary and proper to require a separation between manufacturing interests, wholesale interests, and retail interests in the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages in order to prevent suppliers from dominating local markets through vertical integration and to prevent excessive sales of alcoholic beverages produced by overly aggressive marketing techniques. The Legislature further finds that the exceptions established by this section to the general prohibition against tied interests must be limited to their express terms so as not to undermine the general prohibition, and intends that this section be construed accordingly.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 463, Sec. 5. (AB 1425) Effective January 1, 2014.)
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