FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TEXAS CRAFT BREWERS PUSH FOR LEGISLATIVE REFORM WITH SUPPORT FOR TRIO OF INDUSTRY ADVANCING BILLS

Efforts Focus on Legalizing Direct to Consumer Delivery, Supporting Local Agriculture, and Streamlining Brewery Operations

 

AUSTIN, Texas (April 3, 2025) — With the 89th Texas Legislature currently underway, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild has announced its support for bills aimed at advancing the state’s craft brewing landscape. Three proposed pieces of companion legislation have been filed to address crucial aspects of brewery operations in Texas:

• Beer To You (SB 246 / HB 2441): would allow Texas brewers to safely and legally deliver and ship their products directly to consumers, mirroring paths to market already afforded to Texas wineries and all Texas retailers with the exception of brewpubs.

• Interfacility Transfer (SB 1240 / HB 4773): would reduce regulatory hurdles currently experienced by multi-location breweries simply trying to move their own inventory between their own facilities.

• Beers For Steers (SB 1554 / HB 3336): would provide targeted tax relief for Texas craft breweries who donate their spent grain to local agricultural producers by offering an excise tax credit. This bill incentives brewers to support nearby businesses and keeps valuable resources in local economies while helping to lower feed costs for Texas farmers and ranchers.

“The craft beer industry is a vital part of the Texas economy, driving tourism, economic development, and job creation across the state,” said Caroline Wallace, Executive Director of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. “With these bills, we have a clear path to support our small manufacturing and hospitality businesses and enhance their ability to operate efficiently and sustainably.”

Texas ranks third nationally in craft beer production, with the industry contributing $5.3 billion to the state’s economy. Despite this significant economic impact, Texas sits at 48th when it comes to craft breweries per capita, underscoring substantial opportunity for continued growth in a large, highly populous state. In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas has seen a rise in brewery closures and a slowdown in new brewery openings, reflecting the broader challenges faced by the hospitality industry. Small breweries have contended with supply chain disruptions and increased costs of raw materials, capital, and real estate. Price hikes, driven by inflation and further compounded by environmental challenges and global factors affecting supply chains, have significantly impacted operational costs. With the industry already facing headwinds, it’s essential that we examine laws currently inhibiting breweries’ ability to compete effectively and return to growth in a rapidly changing marketplace.

“We are at a pivotal moment where legislative progress can profoundly influence the growth and success of the craft brewing industry in Texas,” said Travis Bailey, Government Affairs Associate for the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. “Our Texas beer laws have improved substantially over the past 12 years, and each legislative change has spurred brewery growth. Still, the market and consumer expectations have moved faster, and our craft breweries continue to face more regulatory hurdles and barriers to growth than their counterparts in many other states. It’s time to modernize our laws to reflect the evolving needs and potential of this industry and enable Texas craft brewers to truly compete.”

The Texas Craft Brewers Guild is proud to support Beer To You, Interfacility Transfer, and Beers For Steers as well as other proposed legislation this session which aims to increase operational flexibility and paths to market for Texas craft brewers. Texans who want to learn more, and reach out to their legislators in support of these bills, can visit texascraftbrewersguild.org/governmentaffairs

Additional press releases on each of the above bills, as well as images and industry statistics, are available for members of the press at texascraftbrewersguild.org/presskit.

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ABOUT THE TEXAS CRAFT BREWERS GUILD:
As a member-driven organization, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild fights for the advancement of independent beer brewed in the Lone Star state. Together, we promote, propel, and protect our collective interests while enlisting our fellow Texans to raise a glass and join us. The Guild’s Board of Directors hail from craft breweries in all the major metropolitan regions of the state, as well as different brewery types and sizes to represent the Guild’s ~300 brewery members throughout the state, including operating breweries, as well as those that are in the advanced planning stages. The Guild also welcomes allied trade, retail, education, and nonprofit members who support the craft brewing industry as well as Texas cities committed to craft beer tourism and economic development through the Brew City, Texas program. To learn more about the Texas Craft Brewers Guild visit texascraftbrewersguild.org.