Blau to Serve on Committee to Draft Uniform Law for DTC Sale of Wine
Tampa, Fla. – May 21, 2020 – Richard M. Blau, chair of GrayRobinson's Alcohol Beverage, Food Law, and Cannabis Industry Departments, and shareholder in the firm’s Tampa office, was appointed to serve as the American Bar Association’s (ABA) advisor to the Uniform Law Commission’s (ULC) Drafting Committee on the Registration and Licensing of Direct-to Consumer Sales of Wine and the Prevention of Illegal Sales. The Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice appointed Blau to serve as an advisor to this committee. In his role as an ABA advisor, Blau will keep other interested ABA entities progressively informed about the committee’s work, and will provide input from those entities to the committee.
Currently, more than 40 states permit DTC sales of wine, though few existing DTC statutes adequately address compliance with other registration, reporting, or tax requirements, and most existing statutes do not adequately address sales to persons who are prohibited from purchasing alcohol. Bringing his 30+ years of experience in the field of Alcohol Law and Regulation, Blau will advise the ULC, assisting in the drafting of a uniform law addressing registration and licensing of the direct sale of wine to consumers and the prevention of illegal sales.
Now in its 128th year, the ULC has provided states with over 250 uniform acts that help bring clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law. After receiving the ULC's seal of approval, a uniform act is officially promulgated for consideration by the states, and legislatures are urged to adopt it. Since its inception in 1892, the ULC has been responsible for such bulwarks of state statutory law as the Uniform Commercial Code, the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, the Uniform Probate Code, the Uniform Partnership Act, the Uniform Securities Act, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act.
"I am honored to serve as an ABA advisor to the Uniform Law Commission’s Drafting Committee on the Registration and Licensing of Direct-to Consumer Sales of Wine and the Prevention of Illegal Sales," said Blau. "Both the ABA and the ULC are recognized for their commitment to the development of cogent, practical, and just laws. I look forward to working on the committee to help draft a uniform law that ensures registration and licensure compliance for the direct sale of wine to consumers, as well as prevents illegal sales from occurring outside the marketplace."