PRINTER'S NO. 2312

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1844 Session of 1987


        INTRODUCED BY WESTON, BELARDI, MRKONIC, HARPER, ITKIN, BARLEY,
           CORRIGAN, GAMBLE, ANGSTADT, MICOZZIE, BUNT, KOSINSKI, WOGAN,
           ACOSTA, GEIST, FISCHER, J. TAYLOR, KENNEY, JOHNSON,
           E. Z. TAYLOR, RAYMOND, SIRIANNI, CLYMER, LINTON, BOOK,
           MICHLOVIC, DISTLER, FOX, VEON, LANGTRY, TRUMAN, BORTNER AND
           PERZEL, OCTOBER 14, 1987

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LIQUOR CONTROL, OCTOBER 14, 1987

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled "An
     2     act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and malt and
     3     brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating and
     4     changing the laws relating thereto; regulating and
     5     restricting the manufacture, purchase, sale, possession,
     6     consumption, importation, transportation, furnishing, holding
     7     in bond, holding in storage, traffic in and use of alcoholic
     8     liquors, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages and the
     9     persons engaged or employed therein; defining the powers and
    10     duties of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; providing
    11     for the establishment and operation of State liquor stores,
    12     for the payment of certain license fees to the respective
    13     municipalities and townships, for the abatement of certain
    14     nuisances and, in certain cases, for search and seizure
    15     without warrant; prescribing penalties and forfeitures;
    16     providing for local option, and repealing existing laws,"
    17     further providing for the issuance and transfer of licenses.

    18     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    19  hereby enacts as follows:
    20     Section 1.  Section 404 of the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90,
    21  No.21), known as the Liquor Code, reenacted and amended June 29,
    22  1987 (P.L.32, No.14), is amended to read:
    23     Section 404.  Issuance of Hotel, Restaurant and Club Liquor


     1  Licenses.--(a)  Upon receipt of the application, the proper fees
     2  and bond, and upon being satisfied of the truth of the
     3  statements in the application that the applicant is the only
     4  person in any manner pecuniarily interested in the business so
     5  asked to be licensed and that no other person will be in any
     6  manner pecuniarily interested therein during the continuance of
     7  the license, except as hereinafter permitted, and that the
     8  applicant is a person of good repute, that the premises applied
     9  for meet all the requirements of this act and the regulations of
    10  the board, that the applicant seeks a license for a hotel,
    11  restaurant or club, as defined in this act, and that the
    12  issuance of such license is not prohibited by any of the
    13  provisions of this act, the board shall, in the case of a hotel
    14  or restaurant, grant and issue to the applicant a liquor
    15  license, and in the case of a club may, in its discretion, issue
    16  or refuse a license: Provided, however, That in the case of any
    17  new license or the transfer of any license to a new location the
    18  board may, in its discretion, grant or refuse such new license
    19  or transfer if such place proposed to be licensed is within
    20  three hundred feet of any church, hospital, charitable
    21  institution, school, or public playground, or if such new
    22  license or transfer is applied for a place which is within two
    23  hundred feet of any other premises which is licensed by the
    24  board: And provided further, That the board shall refuse any
    25  application for a new license or the transfer of any license to
    26  a new location if, in the board's opinion, such new license or
    27  transfer would be detrimental to the welfare, health, peace and
    28  morals of the inhabitants of the neighborhood within a radius of
    29  five hundred feet of the place proposed to be licensed: And
    30  provided further, That the board shall not issue new licenses in
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     1  any license district more than twice each license year,
     2  effective from specific dates fixed by the board, and new
     3  licenses shall not be granted, except for hotels as defined in
     4  this act, unless the application therefor shall have been filed
     5  at least thirty days before the effective date of the license:
     6  And provided further, That nothing herein contained shall
     7  prohibit the board from issuing a new license for the balance of
     8  any unexpired term in any license district to any applicant in
     9  such district, who shall have become eligible to hold such
    10  license as the result of legislative enactment, when such
    11  enactment shall have taken place during the license term of that
    12  district for which application is made or within the thirty days
    13  immediately preceding such term, nor shall anything herein
    14  contained prohibit the board from issuing at any time a new
    15  license for an airport restaurant, or municipal golf course, as
    16  defined in section 461 of this act, for the balance of the
    17  unexpired license term in any license district: And provided
    18  further, That the board shall have the discretion to refuse a
    19  license to any person or to any corporation, partnership or
    20  association if such person, or any officer or director of such
    21  corporation, or any member or partner of such partnership or
    22  association shall have been convicted or found guilty of a
    23  felony within a period of five years immediately preceding the
    24  date of application for the said license. The board shall refuse
    25  any application for a new license or the transfer of any license
    26  to a location where the sale of liquid fuels or oil is
    27  conducted.
    28     (b)  In addition to the persons in subsection (a) who are
    29  granted the right to protest the issuing of a new license or the
    30  transfer of any license, the State senator and the State
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     1  representative elected from the senatorial district and the
     2  representative district in which the licensed premises or
     3  proposed licensed premises is located shall have the right to
     4  protest the issuing of a new license or the transfer of any
     5  license and such State senator and State representative shall
     6  also have the right to present testimony at any hearing held on
     7  issuing or transferring any license.
     8     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.















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