SENATE, No. 61

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  PETER J. BARNES, III

District 18 (Middlesex)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Permits theaters with 250 seats or more to apply for liquor license.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

  

An Act concerning plenary retail consumption licenses and amending P.L.1985, c.151.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    Section 1 of P.L.1985, c.151 (C.33:1-19.7) is amended to read as follows:

     1.    It shall be lawful for the governing board or body of any municipality, upon the approval of the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, to issue a plenary retail consumption license to a nonprofit corporation, which conducts musical or theatrical performances or concerts on premises with a seating capacity of [1,000] 250 persons or more authorizing the sale of alcoholic beverages by the nonprofit corporation or its restaurant operator who has been approved pursuant to procedures established by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control for consumption on the licensed premises only during performances and the two hours immediately preceding and the two hours immediately following performances.

     For the purposes of this section, "licensed premises" shall include the premises where the musical or theatrical performance or concert is held and any adjacent premises owned and operated by the licensee.

     A license issued under the provisions of this act shall not be counted in determining the number of licenses under P.L.1947, c.94 (C.33:1-12.13 et seq.) or under P.L.1968, c.277 (C.40:48-2.40 et seq.).

(cf: P.L.1994, c.18, s.1)

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill reduces the number of seats required for a theater to be eligible to apply for a special license to serve alcoholic beverages on the premises from 1,000 to 250.

     Under current law, municipalities are authorized to issue a special plenary retail consumption license, known as a "theater license," to a nonprofit corporation which conducts musical or theatrical performances or concerts on the premises if there is a seating capacity of 1,000 persons or more.  A licensee may serve alcoholic beverages only on the premises and only during the performance, as well as two hours before and two hours after the performance.