BILL NUMBER: S8477
SPONSOR: STEC
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to the
provision of on-premises alcohol consumption licenses
 
PURPOSE:
This legislation would permit the State Liquor Authority to grant
on-premises licenses within 200 feet of a house of worship or school if
the applicant is not located within New York City and if the application
has the express support of the operators of the house of worship or
school.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 - Amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of section 64 of the
alcoholic beverage control law to permit the State Liquor Authority to
grant on-premises licenses within 200 feet of a house of worship or
school if the applicant is not located within New York City and if the
application has the express support of the operators of the house of
worship or school
Section 2 - Amends subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of
section 14 64-a of the alcoholic beverage control law to permit the
State Liquor Authority to grant on-premises licenses within 200 feet of
a house of worship or school if the applicant is not located within New
York City and if the application has the express support of the opera-
tors of the house of worship or school
Section 3 - Amends subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of
section 26 64-b of the alcoholic beverage control law to permit the
State Liquor Authority to grant on-premises licenses within 200 feet of
a house of worship or school if the applicant is not located within New
York City and if the application has the express support of the opera-
tors of the house of worship or school
Section 4 - Amends subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 11
of section 11 64-c of the alcoholic beverage control law to permit the
State Liquor Authority to grant on-premises licenses within 200 feet of
a house of worship or school if the applicant is not located within New
York City and if the application has the express support of the opera-
tors of the house of worship or school
Section 5 - Amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 8 of section 64-d of the
alcoholic 24 beverage control law to permit the State Liquor Authority
to grant on-premises licenses within 200 feet of a house of worship or
school if the applicant is not located within New York City and if the
application has the express support of the operators of the house of
worship or school
Section 6 - Provides effective date
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The state's Alcohol Beverage Control Law is notoriously outdated. This
is especially true regarding its strict limits on distance a potential
business must be from a house of worship or school - commonly referred
to as the "200-foot rule."
It has resulted in near-constant amendments for individual businesses
aiming to open an establishment. As such, these would-be business owners
must not only wait for the State Liquor Authority, but also the Legisla-
ture to pass a bill carving them out of ABC.
It adds months, if not years, to the process.
This bill would allow SLA to issue licenses in cases where the leader-
ship of house of worship or school have expressed support for the appli-
cation.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S8477: 64-a alcoholic beverage control law, 64-a(7) alcoholic beverage control law, 64-b alcoholic beverage control law, 64-b(5) alcoholic beverage control law, 64-c alcoholic beverage control law, 64-c(11) alcoholic beverage control law, 64-d alcoholic beverage control law, 64-d(8) alcoholic beverage control law