Texas Legislative Issues/News: Powdered alcohol is a product that, while not sold commercially in the state of Texas, can be made according to a recipe published a couple of years ago in Popular Science. The powder is mixed with a drink, such as water or fruit juice, to make an alcoholic cocktail. According to Wired, a number of states have banned the substance out of safety concerns, and an effort exists to have the FDA ban it nationwide. Home-brewed powdered alcohol is, by all accounts, pretty foul stuff and can lose its potency quickly unless stored in a Ziploc bag. If the product is ever manufactured commercially in Texas, it may be more appetizing.

According to the Texas Tribune, the Texas House is moving to regulate powered alcohol on the same basis as the regular kind. Two House bills would amend Texas law to include powdered alcohol as a regulated substance.

House Bill 47, offered by state Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, would ban the purchase or possession of powdered alcohol by minors. The bill would also tax the product just as regular liquor is and task the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission with regulating it.

House Bill 133, submitted by state Rep. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, has some of the provisions as the Guillen bill but would also restrict packages to no more than 14 grams of alcohol and mandate that advertising point out that powdered alcohol should not be consumed in powdered form.

Currently, powdered alcohol is neither prohibited nor regulated by Texas law.

Attorney Jake Posey and the team at The Posey Law Firm strive to assist clients in all avenues of state government. If your company needs assistance in finding Texas legislative solutions then consider speaking with The Posey Law Firm, PC.