AB 856

This bill creates a seven-member Wisconsin beer commission, attached to the

Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Members of

the beer commission are nominated by the secretary of DATCP for three-year terms

and are subject to confirmation by the senate. The members of the beer commission

must include four members representing Wisconsin brewers or brewpubs that

manufacture not more than 300,000 barrels of fermented malt beverages (beer)

annually, one member representing Wisconsin brewers that manufacture more than

300,000 barrels of beer annually, one member representing Wisconsin beer

wholesalers, and a chairperson. No member of the commission, except the

chairperson, may receive any salary for services performed as a commission member.

The beer commission must promote Wisconsin beer, directly or indirectly,

including through the marketing and advertising of beer and research related to the

marketing and advertising of beer. The beer commission may maintain and operate

a place for the sale of Wisconsin beer at the state fair park and the State Fair Park

Board must make reasonable and adequate space available for the beer commission

to do so. When selling beer at the state fair park, the beer commission may sell only

beer produced in Wisconsin and must make available for sale a wide variety of brands

of Wisconsin beer. Beer sold by the beer commission at the state fair park must be

purchased from the wholesalers whose designated sales territory for the brands sold

includes the state fair park or, for any brand for which no wholesaler has a designated

sales territory that includes the state fair park, the brewer or brewpub that produced

the brand.