PRINTER'S NO. 3028

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2356 Session of 1980


        INTRODUCED BY PERZEL, SERAFINI, BELARDI AND GALLEN,
           MARCH 7, 1980

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LIQUOR CONTROL, MARCH 7, 1980

                                     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     providing for transfer of certain licenses to performing arts
    18     facilities.

    19     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    20  hereby enacts as follows:
    21     Section 1.  Section 408.3, act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90,
    22  No.21), known as the "Liquor Code," added March 23, 1972
    23  (P.L.122, No.46), is amended to read:
    24     Section 408.3.  Performing Arts Facilities.--(a)  The board
    25  is authorized to issue a license to one nonprofit corporation


     1  operating a theater for the performing arts in each city of the
     2  first or second class which has seating accommodations for at
     3  least twenty-seven hundred persons except where prohibited by
     4  local option for the retail sale of liquor and malt or brewed
     5  beverages by the glass, open bottle or other container or in any
     6  mixture for consumption in any such theater for the performing
     7  arts.
     8     (a.1)  The board is authorized to allow the transfer of a
     9  restaurant liquor license in any city of the first or second
    10  class for the retail sale of liquor and malt or brewed
    11  beverages, by the glass, open bottles or other container or in
    12  any mixture for consumption on any city-owned premises
    13  principally utilized as a nonprofit performing arts facility
    14  where there is an available seating capacity within the premises
    15  of five thousand or more: Provided, however, That no sale or
    16  consumption of such beverages shall take place on any portions
    17  of such premises other than service areas approved by the board.
    18     (b)  The application for a performing arts facility license
    19  may be filed at any time by a nonprofit corporation operating
    20  such a theater for the performing arts or by a concessionaire
    21  selected by such nonprofit corporation and shall conform with
    22  all requirements for restaurant liquor licenses and applications
    23  except as may otherwise be provided herein. Applicant shall
    24  submit such other information as the board may require.
    25  Applications shall be in writing on forms prescribed by the
    26  board and shall be signed and submitted to the board by the
    27  applicant. The filing fee which shall accompany the license
    28  application shall be twenty dollars ($20).
    29     (b.1)  An application for transfer pursuant to section
    30  408.3(a.1) above may be filed at any time by a nonprofit
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     1  corporation operating such a theater for the performing arts or
     2  by a concessionaire selected by such nonprofit corporation. Any
     3  such license granted under these provisions need not conform to
     4  the requirements of the act relating to restaurant liquor
     5  licenses, except as provided herein. Applicant shall submit such
     6  other information as the board may require. Applications shall
     7  be in writing on forms prescribed by the board and shall be
     8  signed and submitted to the board by the applicant. The filing
     9  fee which shall accompany the license transfer application shall
    10  be thirty dollars ($30).
    11     (c)  Upon receipt of the application in proper form and the
    12  [application] appropriate fee and upon being satisfied that the
    13  applicant is of good repute and financially responsible and that
    14  the proposed place of business is proper, the board shall issue
    15  a performing arts license to the applicant or shall approve the
    16  transfer of the restaurant liquor license for the performing
    17  arts facility.
    18     (d)  The license shall be issued or transferred for the same
    19  period of time as provided for restaurant licenses and shall be
    20  renewed as provided in section 402. The license shall terminate
    21  upon revocation by the board or upon termination and nonrenewal
    22  of the contract between the concessionaire and such nonprofit
    23  corporation.
    24     (e)  The annual fee for a performing arts facility shall be
    25  six hundred dollars ($600), and shall accompany the application
    26  for the license. Whenever and if a concessionaire's contract
    27  terminates and is not renewed the license shall be returned to
    28  the board for cancellation [and a new license shall be issued to
    29  a new applicant]. A new license may be issued to a new
    30  applicant, or the transfer of a restaurant liquor license may be
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     1  approved for a new applicant.
     2     (f)  The penal sum of the bond which shall be filed by an
     3  applicant for a performing arts facility pursuant to section 465
     4  of the "Liquor Code" shall be two thousand dollars ($2,000).
     5     (g)  Sales by the holder of a performing arts facility
     6  license may be made except to those persons prohibited under
     7  clause (1) of section 493 of this act on the premises of such a
     8  [theater] facility for the performing arts during the hours
     9  expressed in the code for the sale of liquor and malt and brewed
    10  beverages by restaurant licensees, and the license may be used
    11  for such sales on Sundays between the hours of 1:00 P.M. and
    12  10:00 P.M., irrespective of the volume of food sales.
    13     (h)  Whenever a contract with a concessionaire is terminated
    14  prior to the expiration date provided in the contract between
    15  such nonprofit corporation and the concessionaire and is not
    16  renewed, such nonprofit corporation may select and certify to
    17  the board a different concessionaire which concessionaire shall
    18  apply to the board for a new license or for the transfer of a
    19  restaurant liquor license. If the applicant meets the
    20  requirements of the board as herein provided, a new license
    21  shall thereupon be issued or a transfer shall thereupon be
    22  approved. If any such performing arts facility license is
    23  revoked, the board shall issue a new license [to] or approve a
    24  license transfer for any qualified applicant without regard to
    25  the prohibition in section 471, against the grant of a license
    26  at the same premises for a period of at least one (1) year.
    27     (i)  Licenses issued under the provisions of this section
    28  shall not be subject to the quota restrictions of section 461 of
    29  this act.
    30     (j)  Performing arts [facility] licenses shall not be subject
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     1  to the provisions of section 404 except in so far as they relate
     2  to the reputation of the applicant nor to the provisions of
     3  sections 461 and 463 nor to the provisions of clause (10) of
     4  section 493 of the "Liquor Code."
     5     (k)  Sales under such licenses (including food sales) may be
     6  limited by the licensee to patrons of the events scheduled in
     7  the [theater] facility of the performing arts. Provided food is
     8  offered for sale when sales are made under the license, such
     9  food may be catered from off the premises.
    10     Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.














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