Chapter 269
2008 -- S 2950
Enacted 07/08/08
A N A C T
RELATING
TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- RETAIL LICENSES
Introduced
By: Senators Doyle, Tassoni, and DaPonte
Date
Introduced: April 10, 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 Pawtucket
city 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 city of Pawtucket if not renewed
by the holder. This legislation shall not affect any
Class B license holders whose licenses were
issued by the Pawtucket city council with the right to
transfer.
(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.
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LC02693
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