Meeting documents posted for Dec. 11 Public Hearing
Join TABC staff by video conference to discuss rules proposed by the commission and published in the Texas Register for public comment.
Review the full text of the proposed rules by accessing the Dec. 5 edition of the Texas Register or by accessing the link below.
After these proposed rules are published in the Texas Register and a 30-day formal comment period has lapsed, the rules will be eligible for adoption at a subsequent TABC commission meeting.
Agenda and meeting documents posted for Nov. 18 commission meeting
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Central time.
Watch or listen live from your internet browser by using the video player at the bottom of our Agency Meetings page. You can also attend the meeting at our Austin headquarters in the Commission Meeting Room.
Members of the public who attend in person can register at the meeting to address the commission during time set aside for public comment. The online form to sign up for virtual public comment closes every Monday before the commission meeting.
TABC Executive Director Thomas W. Graham named regional vice chair of National Conference of State Liquor Administrators
AUSTIN — Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Executive Director Thomas W. Graham has been named vice chair of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) Southern Region.
Graham was appointed to the position by NCSLA Southern Region Chair Russell Thomas on Oct. 27. His term will conclude on June 30, 2026. Graham, who first joined TABC in 2006, was named executive director of the agency in 2022.
The NCSLA is the country’s leading voice for state alcohol regulators, with chapters in each U.S. state. The group’s primary mission is to promote effective and equitable alcoholic beverage control laws in each state while helping to devise the most effective enforcement methods for each state’s alcohol regulations. The group also assists states in working with the federal government to ensure each state’s alcoholic beverage industry is in compliance with federal requirements.
As an NCSLA regional vice chair, Graham will represent both Texas and its partner states across the Southern region.
“This is an incredible honor that really highlights the key role of Texas and its alcoholic beverage industry across the nation,” Graham said. “As one of the United States’ largest economies, Texas can and should have a leading voice when addressing the successes and challenges of alcohol regulation in all 50 states. I couldn’t be prouder of the men and women of TABC, as well as our partners in the Texas alcoholic beverage industry. It’s my honor to work with them to ensure future success.”
The NCSLA was founded in Chicago in 1934, shortly after the end of Prohibition. The group provides educational resources to its member states and assists in facing modern regulatory challenges such as new beverage categories, ownership structures, and more.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission was established by the Texas Legislature in 1935 as the Texas Liquor Control Board. The agency is charged with regulating all phases of the state’s alcoholic beverage industry and employs more than 200 commissioned peace officers and dozens of civilian auditors to help ensure public safety and compliance at more than 60,000 licensed businesses in Texas.
Media Contact:
Chris Porter
TABC Director of Communications
media@tabc.texas.gov
Lab tests reveal no controlled substances in liquor bottles after reports of illness at Houston-area bar
HOUSTON — A Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission investigation found no evidence of controlled substances in whiskey served at a Cypress bar where multiple patrons reportedly fell ill, according to results from a laboratory analysis.
TABC was notified on Oct. 7 that two patrons of Bedrock Tavern were reportedly hospitalized after consuming shots of Jameson whiskey at the bar on Oct. 5. The bar owner stated to TABC that onsite tests of two of the bottles allegedly revealed controlled substances in the liquor. TABC seized all nine of the bar’s Jameson bottles and submitted samples of the product from each bottle for testing at a private Arlington-based laboratory.
None of the samples tested positive for any controlled substances, TABC Chief of Enforcement Ronald Swenson said.
“The lab tests did not reveal any substances that would have made the liquor inside the bottles unsafe for human consumption,” Swenson said. “Since this incident was reported, TABC hasn’t received any other reports of patrons falling ill after consuming Jameson, either in Texas or across the U.S.”
A TABC investigation to determine how the patrons fell ill remains ongoing, Swenson added.
“We take incidents like this very seriously,” he said. “These types of incidents tend to be rare, fortunately, but we’re always going to do everything we can to find out what happened and what steps need to be taken to ensure this isn’t repeated.”
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact TABC at 512-206-3333. The agency will release more information as it becomes available.
Media Contact:
Chris Porter
TABC Director of Communications
media@tabc.texas.gov
Industry Notice: Impacts of the federal government shutdown
The U.S. federal government has shut down for an unknown period while Congress works to pass a funding agreement. As a result, federal agencies have halted various services — including the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
This may prevent applicants for TABC licenses, permits, and product registrations from obtaining the federal documents necessary to complete their TABC applications. Read this notice for more information.
