Chapter
082
2008 -- S 2152
Enacted 06/26/08
A N A C T
RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES -- RETAIL LICENSES
Introduced By: Senators Connors, and Issa
Date Introduced: January
31, 2008
It is
enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Section 3-7-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 3-7 entitled "Retail
Licenses"
is
hereby amended to read as follows:
3-7-7.
Class B license. -- (a) (1) A retailer's Class B license is issued only
to a licensed
bona
fide tavern keeper or victualer whose tavern or victualing house may be open
for business
and
regularly patronized at least from nine o'clock (9:00) a.m. to seven o'clock
(7:00) p.m.
provided
no beverage is sold or served after one o'clock (1:00) a.m., nor before six
o'clock (6:00)
a.m.
Local licensing boards may fix an earlier closing time within their
jurisdiction, at their
discretion.
The East Greenwich town council may, in its discretion, issue full and limited
Class B
licenses
which may not be transferred, but which shall revert to the town of East
Greenwich if not
renewed
by the holder. The Cumberland town council may, in its discretion, issue
full and
limited
Class B licenses which may not be transferred to another person or entity, or
to another
location,
but which shall revert to the town of Cumberland if not renewed by the holder.
(2) The license authorizes the holder to keep for sale and sell beverages
including beer in
cans, at
retail at the place described and to deliver them for consumption on the
premises or place
where
sold, but only at tables or a lunch bar where food is served. It also
authorizes the charging
of a
cover, minimum, or door charge. The amount of the cover, or minimum, or door
charge is
posted
at the entrance of the establishments in a prominent place.
(3) Holders of licenses are not permitted to hold dances within the licensed
premises,
unless
proper permits have been properly obtained from the local licensing
authorities.
(4) Any holder of a Class B license may, upon the approval of the local
licensing board
and for
the additional payment of two hundred dollars ($200) to five hundred dollars
($500), open
for
business at twelve o'clock (12:00) p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays and the
night before
legal
state holidays may close at two o'clock (2:00) a.m. All requests for a two
o'clock (2:00) a.m.
license
shall be advertised by the local licensing board in a newspaper having a
circulation in the
county
where the establishment applying for the license is located.
(5) A holder of a retailer's Class B license is allowed to erect signs
advertising his or her
business
and products sold on the premises, including neon signs, and is allowed to
light those
signs
during all lawful business hours, including Sundays and holidays.
(b) The annual license fee for a tavern keeper shall be four hundred dollars
($400) to two
thousand
dollars ($2,000), and for a victualer the license fee shall be four hundred
dollars ($400)
to two
thousand dollars ($2,000). In towns with a population of less than two thousand
five
hundred
(2,500) inhabitants, as determined by the last census taken under the authority
of the
United
States or the state, the fee for each retailer's Class B license shall be
determined by the
town council,
but shall in no case be less than three hundred dollars ($300) annually. If the
applicant
requests it in his or her application, any retailer's Class B license may be
issued limiting
the sale
of beverages on the licensed premises to malt and vinous beverages containing
not more
than
twenty percent (20%) alcohol by volume, and the fee for that limited Class B
license shall be
two
hundred dollars ($200) to one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) annually.
The fee for
any
Class B license shall in each case be prorated to the year ending December 1 in
every
calendar
year.
SECTION
2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
=======
LC01073
=======