(a) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, an additional class of licenses allowing the sale of wine at retail food stores is created. These licenses shall be known as “retail food store wine licenses” and shall be issued by the alcoholic beverage commission; provided, that licenses shall only be issued to a retail food store located in a county or municipality that has authorized the sale of wine at retail food stores by local option election pursuant to § 57-3-801 and has full-time law enforcement through a police or sheriff's department. The commission shall begin issuing the retail food store wine licenses on July 1, 2016, and prior to that date no retail food store may sell wine; however, the commission shall accept applications from retail food stores in jurisdictions that have authorized the sale of wine at retail food stores and begin processing such applications prior to that date. The retail food store wine license shall permit the licensee to receive, store, possess and sell wine at retail for consumption off the premises at the licensed retail food store subject to the restrictions in this part.

(b)

(1) Any person, partnership, limited liability company or corporation desiring to sell wine to patrons or customers within the premises of a retail food store, in sealed packages only, and not for consumption on the premises shall make application to the commission for a retail food store wine license, which application shall be in writing and verified, on forms herein authorized to be prescribed and furnished; and the commission may, subject to the restrictions of this part, issue such retailer's license. A retail food store may enter into a franchise or management agreement with a person or entity to make wine sales at the premises of the retail food store. If the premises with respect to which the license is sought is owned by a person, partnership, limited liability company or corporation not the applicant, the application shall include the name and address of the owner. If the ownership of the premises should change after a license is granted, the licensee shall, within ten (10) days after becoming aware of such change in ownership, notify the commission in writing of the name and address of the new owner.

(2)

(A) Any individual applicant applying for a retail food store wine license must be twenty-one (21) years of age or older and must not have been convicted of a felony subject to § 57-3-210(c).

(B) The commission may issue a retail food store wine license to a person, partnership, limited liability company or corporation that is registered to do business in this state regardless of the residence of the ownership of such entity. No holder of a retail food store wine license, nor any person or entity having any interest in such license greater than ten percent (10%) shall have any interest as partner or otherwise, either direct or indirect, in a business licensed to engage in the sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages, including wine and beer licensed under §  57-3-202, §  57-3-203, §  57-3-204, §  57-3-207, §  57-3-217 or part 6 of this chapter. Nothing shall prohibit the holder of a retail food store wine license from having more than one (1) retail food store wine license. Nothing in this subdivision (b)(2)(B) shall be construed as prohibiting a retail food store that owns its own premises from either holding a retail food store wine license or from entering into a franchise or management agreement as provided in subdivision (b)(1).

(c) Any wine sold by the holder of a retail food store wine license shall not exceed an alcoholic content of eighteen percent (18%) by volume.

(d) Nothing in this part is intended or shall be construed to modify the provisions of title 57 that provide for the separation and independence of the classes of licenses available to manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers of alcoholic beverages or beer in this state.