Bills that would regulate powdered alcohol sent to House floor
Despite pushback from some advocates, lawmakers unanimously approved two bills Monday that would regulate the sale of powdered alcohol in Texas. The measures now head to the full House.
The version of House Bill 47 by state Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, approved by the House Licensing and Administrative Committee would amend the definition of an alcoholic beverage to include powdered alcohol, ban the possession and purchase of the product by minors and tax and regulate powdered alcohol the same as traditional liquor. House Bill 47 would also give the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission the authority to regulate powdered alcohol.
House Bill 133 by state Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, covers much of the same ground as Guillen's bill but would also require that powdered alcohol packages contain no more than 14 grams of alcohol and require advertising of the product to make clear that it shouldn't be consumed in its powdered form.
Powdered alcohol is a form of dehydrated booze that can be mixed with water, soda or juice for an instant mixed drink. If the bill passes this legislative session, Texas could become the second state to regulate powdered alcohol (Colorado already has such a law and Wisconsin is considering similar legislation).
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/04/03/bills-would-regulate-powdered-alcohol-sent-house-floor/