COLLEGE LIQUOR LICENSES S.B. 546:
ANALYSIS AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
Senate Bill 546 (as passed by the Senate)
Sponsor: Senator Roger Hauck
Committee: Regulatory Affairs
Date Completed: 8-21-24
RATIONALE
The Michigan Liquor Control Code allows the Liquor Control Commission to issue to the
governing board of a college or university a license to sell alcoholic liquor for consumption on
the premises of a conference center operated by the governing board at regularly scheduled
conference activities. According to testimony before the Senate Committee on Regulatory
Affairs, the Commission has denied licenses for college conference centers not specifically
named in statute. As some conference centers currently named in statute are no longer used,
it has been suggested that statute should name the currently used conference centers.
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Liquor Control Code to allow the Ferris Building
at Grand Rapids and the Eisler Center at Big Rapids, instead of the Conference
Center at Big Rapids, the Applied Technology Center at Grand Rapids, and the FSU
GR Conference Center, to sell alcohol at scheduled conference center activities.
The Code lists specific buildings that are considered conference centers on specific university
campuses, including the Conference Center at Big Rapids, the Applied Technology Center at
Grand Rapids, and the FSU GR Conference Center of Ferris State University (FSU). The bill
would remove references to the Conference Center at Big Rapids, the Applied Technology
Center at Grand Rapids, and the FSU GR Conference Center and replace those references with
the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building at Grand Rapids and the David L. Eisler Center at Big Rapids.
MCL 436.1513
ARGUMENTS
(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The
Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)
Supporting Argument
The Code is out-of-date and should be updated. Testimony before the Senate Committee on
Regulatory Affairs indicates that FSU no longer uses the Conference Center at Big Rapids, the
Applied Technology Center at Grand Rapids, and the FSU GR Conference Center. Currently,
FSU hosts conferences at the Ferris Building in Grand Rapids and the Eisler Center in Big
Rapids; however, the Commission denied FSU's application for liquor licenses for both
properties because it was not permitted by statute. The bill would include the conference
centers in the Code, allowing them to receive liquor licenses and profit from the sale of alcohol.
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State of local government.
Analyst: Nathan Leaman; Fiscal Analyst: Josh Sefton
SAS\S2324\s546a
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official
statement of legislative intent.
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Statutes affected:
Senate Introduced Bill: 436.1513, 426.1513
As Passed by the Senate: 436.1513, 426.1513