Montana Senate Bill 203, allowing on-premise beer retailers to fill growlers for off premise consumption, sailed through the House of Representatives on an 86-12 vote last week and is now headed to the Governor. As with any bill, the Governor has four options.  He can sign it, recommend amendments and send it back, veto it, or take no action and it will become law after 10 days. Presumably, this one should get a signature.

Filling growlers from taps at bars (on-premise beer retailers) has not been too common a practice, yet became the subject of controversy last year when the Department of Revenue suggested it violated state law. SB 203 makes the practice expressly legal which is good news as brewery related, but not owned, “tap rooms” become more popular.