INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers approved a bill lifting a decades-long ban on happy hour drink specials during a vote at the Indiana Statehouse Tuesday afternoon.
House Bill 1086, which would permit restaurants to sell alcoholic beverages for reduced prices during designated parts of the day, passed with bipartisan support in a 38-10 vote. Rep. Jake Teshka (R-District 7) authored the bill.
The Committee on Public Policy passed the bill in a 12-1 vote last month. Happy hour discount specials have been illegal in Indiana since 1985 in a bid to crack down on incidents of drunk driving.
According to previous reports, a previous version of the bill would have allowed patrons to purchase carryout or to-go alcoholic drinks, which is illegal under current Indiana law.
However, the Senate removed a portion of the bill that would have allowed patrons to order carryout drinks. The bill will now head back to the House where it needs to be reviewed again to reflect the latest amendment and changes.
The latest version of the bill provides stipulations for when restaurants can sell alcoholic drinks for a discount. Restaurants cannot exceed four hours in a single day and 15 hours in one week. Additionally, the drink discounts cannot be offered between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
The bill would also create a requirement for any establishments serving alcohol to obtain at least $500,000 worth of liquor liability insurance to obtain a retailer’s permit.
If the bill becomes law, the change would take effect July 1.
