This bill proposes amendments to Section 3-7-19 of the General Laws, which pertains to the issuance of retail licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages. The amendments introduce new language that allows for objections from adjoining property owners and considerations of proximity to schools and places of worship when issuing certain retail licenses. It restricts the issuance of licenses for buildings within 200 feet of schools or places of worship unless the owner of the majority of the adjoining land objects, with a specific provision for East Providence extending this distance to 500 feet. The bill also outlines exemptions for existing license holders and for the transfer of licenses under certain conditions. Furthermore, it grants authority to the boards of licenses in Providence, Newport, Warren, and Bristol to exempt certain retailer licenses from these restrictions, with detailed descriptions of the eligible areas within each city.

The bill also expands the exemption authority to additional cities and towns, allowing local boards to grant exemptions for retailer Class B, Class BV, Class BX, and Class C licenses at specific addresses and tax assessor's map lots. Notably, the bill deletes the previous exemptions for Class BV and BM licenses between 2 Main Street and 194 Main Street in Woonsocket, replacing it with a broader exemption for any class of license within the Downtown Overlay District. The bill specifies the exact locations eligible for exemptions in various municipalities, including Pawtucket, Jamestown, Providence, East Providence, Barrington, Warren, Westerly, North Providence, Bristol, South Kingstown, and Woonsocket's Downtown Overlay District. Additionally, Woonsocket may exempt any proposed retailer's license of any class from the 200-foot restriction near schools or places of worship within its Downtown Overlay District. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
8254: 3-7-19