The bill amends Section 3-7-19 of the General Laws, which pertains to the issuance of alcoholic beverage retail licenses, by specifying new proximity restrictions and exemptions. Retailer’s Class B, C, N, and I licenses, as well as licenses under § 3-7-16.8, cannot be issued within 200 feet of any building if the majority landowner objects or within 200 feet of schools or places of worship, with an exception for the city of East Providence where Class A licenses cannot be issued within 500 feet of such institutions. The bill clarifies the definition of "private school" and provides exemptions for licenses issued before 1978 or for establishments predating nearby schools or places of worship. Additionally, it allows boards of licenses in Providence, Newport, Warren, and Bristol to grant exemptions from these proximity restrictions in designated areas.

The bill also grants authority to local boards and town councils in various Rhode Island cities and towns to exempt proposed retailer Class B and other specified licenses from existing proximity restrictions to places of public worship and schools. These exemptions are specific to certain tax assessor plats and lots within the municipalities, including Providence, Middletown, East Greenwich, Lincoln, Cumberland, Central Falls, Woonsocket, Westerly, and East Providence. The bill includes insertions of new provisions and definitions but does not indicate any deletions from the current law. It specifies exact locations where exemptions can be applied and sets the act to take effect immediately upon passage, with a particular mention of the property at 777 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, being exempt from certain provisions to hold a Class BV license.

Statutes affected:
6219: 3-7-19