AB 320

This bill allows municipalities to issue temporary alcohol beverage retail

licenses for certain multiple-location events and also allows temporary alcohol

beverage retail licenses to be issued to local chambers of commerce.

Under current law, with limited exceptions, no person may sell alcohol

beverages to a consumer unless the seller possesses a license or permit authorizing

the sale. Current law authorizes municipalities to issue temporary Class "B" and

"Class B" licenses to certain clubs, fair associations, agricultural societies, churches,

veterans organizations, lodges, and societies that authorize the retail sale of,

respectively, fermented malt beverages (beer) and wine at fairs, meetings, picnics,

and similar gatherings hosted by these organizations. A municipality may not issue

to one of these organizations more than two temporary "Class B" (wine) licenses in

any 12-month period, but there is no such limit on issuance of Class "B" (beer)

licenses.

This bill authorizes municipalities to issue temporary Class "B" and "Class B"

licenses to local chambers of commerce, and similar civic or trade organizations,

organized as nonstock corporations with the Department of Financial Institutions.

The bill also creates a limited exception to the two-license limit for temporary "Class

B" licenses that allows a municipality to issue up to 20 temporary "Class B" licenses

to the same licensee if all of the following apply: 1) each license is issued for the same

date and times and the licensee is the sponsor of an event, of not more than one day

in duration, held at multiple locations within the municipality on this date and at

these times; 2) an admission fee is charged for participation in the event and no

additional fee is charged for service of alcohol at the event; and 3) within the previous

12 months, the municipality has issued such multiple-location event licenses for

only one other such event or for no other events. Each event for which a municipality

issues multiple-location event licenses as described above is counted as one license

toward the licensee's two-license limit for a temporary "Class B" license.

Under current law, with exceptions, a Class "B" license may not be issued for

premises where another business is conducted.

This bill creates a limited exception under which a temporary Class "B" license

may be issued for premises where another business is conducted if all of the following

apply: 1) the license is one of multiple licenses issued by the municipality to the same

licensee for the same date and times; 2) the licensee is the sponsor of an event held

at multiple locations within the municipality on this date and at these times; and 3)

an admission fee is charged for participation in the event and no additional fee is

charged for service of alcohol at the event.

The bill further clarifies that a temporary "Class B" license for wine may be

issued by a municipality without also issuing a temporary Class "B" license for beer

and also provides discretion to a municipality in setting the fee for a temporary

"Class B" license, which may not exceed $10 (the fee under current law).