State-certified Wisconsin beer. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill creates a process for certification of fermented malt beverages (beer) by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection as “state-certified Wisconsin beer.” Upon application, DATCP must review a beer's formula or recipe, including the source of ingredients, and determine whether the beer is made with at least the following percentage, by weight, of its hops grown or manufactured in this state and at least the following percentage, by weight, of all of its other ingredients, excluding water, grown in this state: 1) 20 percent, for determinations made before January 1, 2020; 2) 60 percent, for determinations made on or after January 1, 2020, but before January 1, 2024; and 3) 80 percent, for determinations made on or after January 1, 2024. If DATCP determines that the applicable criteria are satisfied, DATCP must issue a certification for the beer as “state-certified Wisconsin beer.” This certification remains valid for as long as the beer's formula or recipe, including the source of ingredients, does not materially change, except that the certification expires on the dates on which the percentage requirement described above increases. DATCP must keep confidential any formula, recipe, or other information submitted to it for review.

Current law includes certain beer labeling requirements under the enforcement jurisdiction of the Department of Revenue. Under this bill, beer sold or offered for sale in this state may not display a label identifying it as “state-certified Wisconsin beer,” or contain confusingly similar wording, unless DATCP has issued such a certification for the beer and the certification is valid at the time the beer is sold or offered for sale in this state.

Who's behind it

Lena Taylor, a Democrat, is its author⁠.

7 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.