HB 5510 — Eliminate the requirement for private wedding venues to own or lease 2 acres in rural location.

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedENGROSSED House Bill 5510 By Delegates Hornby, Clark, Hite, Browning, Ellington, Phillips, Funkhouser, and Maynor [Introduced February 13, 2026;

referred to the Committee on Government Organization] IntrEng HB 2026R41035510 A BILL to amend and reenact §60-7-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to removing the two-acre minimum for private wedding venues.

(B) Is a nonprofit social club, which is operated exclusively for the benefit of its members, which pays no part of its income to its shareholders or individual members, which owns or leases a building or other premises to which are admitted only duly-elected or approved dues-paying members in good standing of the corporation or association and their guests while in the company IntrEng HB 2026R41035510 of a member and to which club the general public is not admitted, and which maintains in the building or on the premises a suitable kitchen and dining facility with related equipment for serving food to members and their guests;

or (C) from an infusion packet containing alcohol no greater than 10 milliliters where IntrEng HB 2026R41035510 the purchaser adds the alcohol.

Where permitted by law, indoor on-premises cigar consumption is permitted with a limited food menu, which may be met by using a private caterer, for members and guests while the private club applicant or licensee is selling and serving liquor, wine, or IntrEng HB 2026R41035510 nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer for on-premises consumption.

IntrEng HB 2026R41035510 (A) Have at least 10 members and guests attending the catering event;

IntrEng HB 2026R41035510 (F) Not hold more than 15 private catering events per calendar year.

(D) Uses an age verification system approved by the commissioner for the purpose of verifying that persons under the age of 18 who are in the private club bar are accompanied by a Eng HB 5510 parent or legal guardian.

If a person under 18 years of age is not accompanied by a parent or legal Intr HB 2026R4103 guardian that person may not be admitted as a guest;

(E) Provide the commissioner with a list of all locations, including a main business location, where the private food truck operates, and is approved for sales pursuant to paragraph (D) of this Eng HB 5510 section, and immediately update the commissioner when new locations are approved by a county Intr HB 2026R4103 or municipality;

of this code.code;

of this code.code;

of this code.code;

(I) A licensee authorized by this section shall use bona fide employees to sell, furnish, tender, or serve the nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer, wine, or liquor.liquor;

(K) Licensed representatives of a brewer, resident brewer, beer distributor, wine distributor, wine supplier, winery, farm winery, distillery, mini-distillery, micro-distillery, and liquor broker representatives may attend a location where a private food truck is located and discuss their respective products but may not engage in the selling, furnishing, tendering, or serving of any nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer, wine, or liquor.liquor;

Eng HB 5510 (M) Obtain all permits required by §60-6-12 of this code;

and Intr HB 2026R4103 (N) Meet and be subject to all other applicable private club requirements.

The licensee may not seat a person in the bar area who is under the age of 18 years who is not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, but may allow that person, as a guest, to dine for food and nonalcoholic beverage purposes in the restaurant area of a private club restaurant:restaurant;

(E) May uncork and serve members and guests up to two bottles of wine that a member purchased from a wine retailer, wine specialty shop, an applicable winery or farm winery when Eng HB 5510 licensed for retail sales, or a licensed wine direct shipper when the purchase is for personal use Intr HB 2026R4103 and, not for resale.

Eng HB 5510 Provided, That a licensee required by the provisions of this code to serve food on premises in Intr HB 2026R4103 order to lawfully serve alcoholic liquors, nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer, wine, or hard cider may meet the requirement of having on-premises food preparation facilities by, during all hours alcoholic liquors, beer, wine, and hard cider are offered for sale or sampling, having on- site an operating food truck or other portable kitchen:

and Eng HB 5510 (I) Meets and is subject to all other private club requirements.

Intr HB 2026R4103 "Private fair and festival" means an applicant for a private club or a licensed private club licensee meeting the requirements of §60-7-8a of this code for a temporary event, and the criteria set forth in this subdivision which:

Eng HB 5510 (C) Operates a restaurant and full kitchen with ovens, four-burner ranges, walk-in freezers, Intr HB 2026R4103 and other kitchen utensils and apparatus as determined by the commissioner on the licensed premises and serves freshly prepared food at least 20 hours per week;

(i) Any combination Eng HB 5510 of 12 fluid ounce cans or bottles not exceeding 72 fluid ounces of nonintoxicating beer or Intr HB 2026R4103 nonintoxicating craft beer;

(E) Owns or leases, controls, operates, and uses acreage amounting to at least 10 contiguous acres of bounded or fenced real property which would be listed on the licensee's Eng HB 5510 floorplan and would be used for destination, resort, and large contracted-for group-type events such as weddings, reunions, conferences, meetings, and sporting or recreational events;

Intr HB 2026R4103 (F) Lists the entire property from paragraph (E) of this subdivision and all adjoining buildings and structures on the private resort hotel's floorplan comprising the licensed premises which would be authorized for the lawful sales, service, and consumption of alcoholic liquors and nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer throughout the licensed premises whether these activities were conducted in a building or structure or outdoors while on the private resort hotel's licensed premises;

All markups, fees, and taxes shall be charged on the Eng HB 5510 sale of nonintoxicating beer, nonintoxicating craft beer, hard cider, wine, and liquor.

All nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer available for sale shall be purchased from the Intr HB 2026R4103 licensed distributor in the area where licensed.

Eng HB 5510 (G) Uses an age verification system approved by the commissioner;

Intr HB 2026R4103 "Private nine-hole golf course" means an applicant for a private club or licensed private club licensee which:

Eng HB 5510 (B) Maintains at least four separate and distinct tennis courts, either indoor or outdoor, and a clubhouse or similar facility;

Intr HB 2026R4103 (C) Has a restaurant and full kitchen with ovens, as determined by the commissioner, on the licensed premises which is capable of serving freshly prepared food;

This license Eng HB 5510 may be issued in the name of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, II, or III college or university or the name of the primary food and beverage vendor under contract with that Intr HB 2026R4103 college or university.

(E) List the entire property from paragraph (D) of this subdivision and all adjoining buildings and structures on the private college sports stadium's floorplan which would comprise the licensed premises, which would be authorized for the lawful sales, service, and consumption of alcoholic liquors and nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer throughout the licensed premises Eng HB 5510 whether these activities were conducted in a building or structure or outdoors while on the private college sports stadium's licensed premises and as noted on the private college sports stadium's Intr HB 2026R4103 floorplan;

(D) Own or lease, control, operate, and use acreage amounting to at least three contiguous acres of bounded or fenced real property, as determined by the commissioner, which would be listed on the professional sports stadium's floorplan and could be used for contracted- for Eng HB 5510 professional sporting events, group-type weddings, reunions, conferences, meetings, or other events;

Intr HB 2026R4103 (E) List the entire property from paragraph (D) of this subdivision and all adjoining buildings and structures on the private professional sports stadium's floorplan comprising the licensed premises which would be authorized for the lawful sales, service, and consumption of alcoholic liquors and nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer throughout the licensed premises whether these activities were conducted in a building or structure or outdoors while on the private professional sports stadium's licensed premises;

Eng HB 5510 (B) Have one or more members operating a private club restaurant and full kitchen with ovens, four-burner ranges, a refrigerator or freezer or some combination of a refrigerator and freezer, and other kitchen utensils and apparatus as determined by the commissioner on the Intr HB 2026R4103 licensed premises and serve freshly prepared food at least 15 hours per week;

Eng HB 5510 (H) Only use its employees, independent contractors, or volunteers to purchase, sell, furnish, or serve liquor, wine, nonintoxicating beer or nonintoxicating craft beer;

Intr HB 2026R4103 (J) Provide a security plan indicating all vendor points of service, entrances, and exits in order to verify members', patrons', and guests' ages, to verify whether a member, patron, or guest is intoxicated, and to provide for the public health and safety of members, patrons, and guests;

(D) Owns or leases, controls, operates, and uses space sufficient to safely operate the licensed premises.premises;