See other bills
under the
same topic
                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 2340

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 1547 Session of 2008


        INTRODUCED BY EARLL, SEPTEMBER 5, 2008

        REFERRED TO LAW AND JUSTICE, SEPTEMBER 5, 2008

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled, as
     2     reenacted, "An act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and
     3     malt and brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating
     4     and 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," in
    17     licenses and regulations relating to liquor, alcohol and malt
    18     and brewed beverages, further providing for interlocking
    19     businesses prohibited and for number and kinds of licenses
    20     allowed same licensee.

    21     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    22  hereby enacts as follows:
    23     Section 1.  Sections 411(e) and 438(c) of the act of April
    24  12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, reenacted
    25  and amended June 29, 1987 (P.L.32, No.14), are amended to read:
    26     Section 411.  Interlocking Business Prohibited.--* * *


     1     (e)  Except as herein provided, no hotel, restaurant, retail
     2  dispenser or club licensee, and no officer, director or
     3  stockholder, agent or employe of any such licensee shall in any
     4  wise be interested, directly or indirectly, in the ownership or
     5  leasehold of any property or the equipment of any property or
     6  any mortgage lien against the same, used by a distributor,
     7  importing distributor, or by an importer or sacramental wine
     8  licensee, in the conduct of his business; nor shall any hotel,
     9  restaurant, retail dispenser or club licensee, or any officer,
    10  director, stockholder, agent or employe of any such licensee,
    11  either directly or indirectly, lend any moneys, credit, or give
    12  anything of value or the equivalent thereof, to any distributor,
    13  importing distributor, importer or sacramental wine licensee,
    14  for equipping, fitting out, or maintaining and conducting,
    15  either in whole or in part, an establishment used in the conduct
    16  of his business.
    17     The purpose of this section is to require a separation of the
    18  financial and business interests between manufacturers and
    19  holders of hotel or restaurant liquor licenses and, as herein
    20  provided, of club licenses, issued under this article, and no
    21  person shall, by any device whatsoever, directly or indirectly,
    22  evade the provisions of the section. But in view of existing
    23  economic conditions, nothing contained in this section shall be
    24  construed to prohibit the ownership of property or conflicting
    25  interest by a manufacturer of any place occupied by a licensee
    26  under this article after the manufacturer has continuously owned
    27  and had a conflicting interest in such place for a period of at
    28  least five years prior to July eighteenth, one thousand nine
    29  hundred thirty-five: Provided, however, That this clause shall
    30  not prohibit any hotel, restaurant or club liquor licensee from
    20080S1547B2340                  - 2 -     

     1  owning land which is leased to, and the buildings thereon owned
     2  by, a holder of a retail dispenser's license; and nothing in
     3  this clause shall prevent the issuance of a retail dispenser's
     4  license to a lessee of such lands who owns the buildings
     5  thereon: And, provided further, That nothing contained in this
     6  section shall be construed to prohibit any hotel, restaurant,
     7  retail dispenser or club licensee or any officer, director or
     8  stockholder, agent or employe of any such licensee from having a
     9  financial or other interest, directly or indirectly in the
    10  ownership or leasehold of any property or the equipment of any
    11  property or any mortgage lien against same, used, leased by an
    12  importer or sacramental wine licensee for the exclusive purpose
    13  of maintaining commercial offices and on the condition that said
    14  property is not used for the storage or sale of liquor or malt
    15  or brewed beverages in any quantity[.]: And, provided further,
    16  That nothing contained in this section shall be construed to
    17  prohibit a member of the governing board of a public authority
    18  created under subdivision (n) of Article XXIII of the act of
    19  August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as "The County Code,"
    20  from having an interest in a distributor or importing
    21  distributor license notwithstanding the fact that the public
    22  authority has an interest in one or more retail licenses or acts
    23  as a landlord for one or more retail licenses.
    24     Section 438.  Number and Kinds of Licenses Allowed Same
    25  Licensee.--* * *
    26     (c)  No person shall possess more than one class of license,
    27  except that a holder of a retail dispenser's license may also be
    28  a holder of a retail liquor license[.]: Provided, however, That
    29  nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit
    30  a member of the governing board of a public authority created
    20080S1547B2340                  - 3 -     

     1  under subdivision (n) of Article XXIII of the act of August 9,
     2  1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as "The County Code," from having
     3  an interest in a distributor or importing distributor license
     4  notwithstanding the fact that the public authority has an
     5  interest in one or more retail licenses or acts as a landlord
     6  for one or more retail licenses.
     7     Section 2.  Section 443(g) of the act, amended May 31, 1996
     8  (P.L.312, No.49), is amended to read:
     9     Section 443.  Interlocking Business Prohibited.--* * *
    10     (g)  The purpose of this section is to require a separation
    11  of the financial and business interests between the various
    12  classes of business regulated by subdivision (B) of this
    13  article, and no person or corporation shall, by any device
    14  whatsoever, directly or indirectly, evade the provisions of this
    15  section. But in view of existing economic conditions, nothing
    16  contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
    17  ownership of property or conflicting interest by a malt or
    18  brewed beverage manufacturer of any place occupied by a
    19  distributor, importing distributor or retail dispenser after the
    20  manufacturer has continuously owned and had a conflicting
    21  interest in such place for a period of at least five years prior
    22  to the eighteenth day of July, one thousand nine hundred thirty-
    23  five: Provided, however, That a holder of a manufacturer's
    24  license under section 431(a) who is eligible to operate a
    25  brewery pub under section 446(2) or a limited winery as provided
    26  for under section 505.2 may also hold and operate under a hotel
    27  liquor license, a restaurant liquor license or a malt and brewed
    28  beverages retail license on the manufacturer's or limited
    29  winery's licensed premises. The hotel liquor license or
    30  restaurant liquor license or the malt and brewed beverages
    20080S1547B2340                  - 4 -     

     1  retail license shall be acquired by the manufacturer or limited
     2  winery subject to section 461 and shall satisfy all requirements
     3  for each respective license[.]: And, provided further, That
     4  nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit
     5  a member of the governing board of a public authority created
     6  under subdivision (n) of Article XXIII of the act of August 9,
     7  1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as "The County Code," from having
     8  an interest in a distributor or importing distributor license
     9  notwithstanding the fact that the public authority has an
    10  interest in one or more retail licenses or acts as a landlord
    11  for one or more retail licenses.
    12     The term "manufacturer" as used in this section shall include
    13  manufacturers of malt or brewed beverages as defined in this act
    14  and any person manufacturing any malt or brewed beverages
    15  outside of this Commonwealth.
    16     Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.










    H14L47DMS/20080S1547B2340        - 5 -