STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE CHAPARRO
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Permits theaters with 100 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 regularly conducts musical or theatrical performances or concerts, for which admission is charged, on premises with a seating capacity of [1,000] 100 persons or more, which premises is primarily used for the conducting of such musical or theatrical performances or concerts, 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 from 1,000 to 100 the number of seats required for a theater to be eligible to apply for a special license to serve alcoholic beverages on the premises. The nonprofit corporation must be one that regularly conducts musical or theatrical performances or concerts, for which admission is charged, and uses the license in connection with a premises primarily used for such activity.
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.