Texas Legislature passes Cocktails-to-Go bill Wednesday, which would allow customers to purchase sealed alcoholic drinks from businesses across the state.
The bill, HB 1024, was originally posed as a bill from Senator Hancock to allow third-party services such as UberEats and DoorDash to deliver alcoholic drinks to homes in 2019.
However, when the pandemic swept through the state in 2020, Gov. Abbott expanded the rules with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) rulemaking in mind to allow Texans to take cocktails to-go with their meal.
If the bill passes, the allowance of cocktails to-go will remain with safety precautions in place.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
Precautions include drinks needing to be sealed in their original manufacturer-containers or in a tamper-proof container labeled with the business' name, as well as the drink will not be allowed to be transported in the vehicle's passenger area.
"Something as simple as letting Texans safely pick up and transport a cocktail from their local restaurant allowed thousands of businesses to keep operating, employ staff, and serve their communities for years to come,” Chairman of the Senate Business & Commerce Committee, Sen. Kelly Hancock said.
