Colorado Code § 44-3-308

Unlawful financial assistance
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(1) (a) (I) It is unlawful for any person
licensed pursuant to this article 3 as a manufacturer, limited winery, wholesaler, or importer, or
any person, partnership, association, organization, or corporation interested financially in or with
any of said licensees, to furnish, supply, or loan, in any manner, directly or indirectly, to any
person licensed to sell at retail pursuant to this article 3 or article 4 or 5 of this title 44:
(A) Any financial assistance, including the extension of credit for more than thirty days,
as specified in section 44-3-202 (2)(b) or in rules of the state licensing authority; or
(B) Any equipment, fixtures, chattels, or furnishings used in the storing, handling,
serving, or dispensing of food or alcohol beverages within the premises or for making any
structural alterations or improvements in or on the building in which the premises is located.
(II) This subsection (1) does not:
(A) Apply to signs or displays within the licensed premises; or
(B) Prevent a representative, employee, or agent of a person licensed under this article 3
as a manufacturer, limited winery, wholesaler, or importer from pouring or serving the licensee's
alcohol beverage products as part of a tasting being conducted on the licensed premises of a
person licensed under this article 3 to sell alcohol beverages at retail for off-premises
consumption, and pouring or serving the licensee's alcohol beverages does not constitute labor
provided by a person licensed under this article 3 as a manufacturer, limited winery, wholesaler,
or importer to a person licensed under this article 3 to sell alcohol beverages at retail.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1)(a) of this section, any person or
party described in subsection (1)(a) of this section may provide financial or in-kind assistance,
directly or indirectly, to a nonprofit arts organization that has been issued an arts license
pursuant to section 44-3-419 or to a state-supported institution of higher education in Colorado,
including local district colleges, area technical colleges, and the Auraria higher education center,
or the governing board of a state-supported institution of higher education, or to a nonpublic
institution of higher education as defined in section 23-3.7-102 that is operating pursuant to 26
U.S.C. sec. 501 (c)(3) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, if the
institution has been issued a license pursuant to this article 3 or article 4 or 5 of this title 44.
(2) The state licensing authority, by rule, shall require a complete disclosure of all
persons having a direct or indirect financial interest, and the extent of such interest, in each hotel
and restaurant license and each retail gaming tavern license issued under this article 3. A willful
failure to report and disclose the financial interests of all persons having a direct or indirect
financial interest in a hotel and restaurant license or in a retail gaming tavern license shall be
grounds for suspension or revocation of such license by the state licensing authority. The
invalidity of any provision of this subsection (2) concerning interest in more than one hotel and
restaurant license or retail gaming tavern license shall invalidate all interests in more than one
hotel and restaurant license or retail gaming tavern license, and such invalidity shall make any
such interest unlawful financial assistance.
(3) (a) (I) It is unlawful for any person licensed to sell at retail pursuant to this article 3
or article 4 of this title 44 to receive and obtain from the persons or parties described and
referred to in subsection (1)(a) of this section, directly or indirectly, any financial assistance or
any equipment, fixtures, chattels, or furnishings used in the storing, handling, serving, or
dispensing of food or alcohol beverages within the premises or from making any structural
alterations or improvements in or on the building on which the premises is located.
(II) This subsection (3) does not:
(A) Apply to signs or displays within the premises or to advertising materials that are
intended primarily to advertise the product of the wholesaler or manufacturer and that have only
negligible value in themselves or to the inspection and servicing of malt or vinous liquor-
dispensing equipment to the extent necessary for the maintenance of reasonable standards of
purity, cleanliness, and health; or
(B) Prevent a representative, employee, or agent of a licensee described and referred to
in subsection (1)(a) of this section from pouring or serving the licensee's alcohol beverage
products as part of a tasting being conducted on the licensed premises of the person licensed
under this article 3 to sell alcohol beverages at retail for off-premises consumption, and pouring
or serving the licensee's alcohol beverages does not constitute labor provided by a licensee
described in subsection (1)(a) of this section to a person licensed under this article 3 to sell
alcohol beverages at retail.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3)(a) of this section, a nonprofit arts
organization that has been issued an arts license pursuant to section 44-3-419 or a state-
supported institution of higher education in Colorado, including local district colleges, area
technical colleges, and the Auraria higher education center, or the governing board of a state-
supported institution of higher education, or a nonpublic institution of higher education as
defined in section 23-3.7-102 that is operating pursuant to 26 U.S.C. sec. 501 (c)(3) of the
federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, if the institution has been issued a license
pursuant to this article 3 or article 4 or 5 of this title 44, may receive financial or in-kind
assistance, directly or indirectly, from the persons or parties described and referred to in
subsection (1)(a) of this section.
(4) (a) Except as otherwise authorized, it is unlawful for any person or corporation
holding any license pursuant to this article 3 or article 4 of this title 44 or any person who is a
stockholder, director, or officer of any corporation holding a license pursuant to this article 3 or
article 4 of this title 44 to be a stockholder, director, or officer or to be interested, directly or
indirectly, in any person or corporation that lends money to any person or corporation licensed
pursuant to this article 3 or article 4 of this title 44, but this subsection (4) does not apply to
banks or savings and loan associations supervised and regulated by an agency of the state or
federal government, or to FHA-approved mortgagees, or to stockholders, directors, or officers
thereof; and it is unlawful for any person or corporation licensed pursuant to this article 3 or
article 4 of this title 44, or any stockholder, director, or officer of such corporation, to make any
loan or be interested, directly or indirectly, in any loan to any other person licensed pursuant to
this article 3 or article 4 of this title 44; except that this subsection (4)(a) does not apply to any
financial institution that comes into possession of a licensed premises by virtue of a foreclosure
or deed in lieu of foreclosure if the financial institution does not retain such premises for longer
than one year or for such time exceeding one year as provided in subsection (4)(b) of this
section.
(b) In the case of a financial institution that comes into possession of a licensed premises
by virtue of a foreclosure or deed in lieu of foreclosure, the state and the local licensing authority
may grant a transfer of ownership for such license for a period of one year and, upon notice and
hearing, renewal of such license may be granted. This subsection (4)(b) shall apply in the case of
every foreclosure or deed in lieu of foreclosure in which disposition of the license has not
otherwise been made by the state or local licensing authority.
(5) (a) It is unlawful for any owner, part owner, shareholder, stockholder, or person
interested, directly or indirectly, in any retail business or establishment of a person licensed to
sell at retail pursuant to this article 3 or article 4 or 5 of this title 44 to enter into any agreement
with any person or party or to receive, possess, or accept any money, fixtures, supplies, or things
of value from any person or party, whereby a person licensed to sell at retail pursuant to this
article 3 or article 4 or 5 of this title 44 may be influenced or caused, directly or indirectly, to
buy, sell, dispense, or handle the product of any manufacturer of alcohol beverages.
(b) This subsection (5) does not:
(I) Apply to displays within the premises; or
(II) Prevent a representative, employee, or agent of a person licensed under this article 3
as a manufacturer, limited winery, wholesaler, or importer from pouring or serving the licensee's
alcohol beverage products as part of a tasting being conducted on the licensed premises of a
person licensed under this article 3 to sell alcohol beverages at retail for off-premises
consumption, and pouring or serving the licensee's alcohol beverages does not constitute labor
provided by a person licensed under this article 3 as a manufacturer, limited winery, wholesaler,
or importer to a person licensed under this article 3 to sell alcohol beverages at retail.
(6) Any transaction, agreement, or arrangement prohibited by the provisions of this
section, if made and entered into by and between the persons and parties described and referred
to in this section, is unlawful, illegal, invalid, and void, and any obligation or liability arising out
of such transaction, agreement, or arrangement shall be unenforceable in any court of this state
by or against any such persons and parties entering into the transaction, agreement, or
arrangement.
(7) This section is intended to prohibit and prevent the control of the outlets for the sale
of alcohol beverages by any persons or parties other than the persons licensed pursuant to the
provisions of this article 3 or article 4 or 5 of this title 44.
(8) It is unlawful for an owner, part owner, shareholder, or person interested directly or
indirectly in a brew pub, distillery pub, or vintner's restaurant license to conduct, own in whole
or in part, or be directly or indirectly interested in a wholesaler's license issued under this article
3 or article 4 of this title 44.

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