ASSEMBLY OVERSIGHT, REFORM AND FEDERAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2011

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 8, 2018

     The Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2011.

     P.L.2007, c.351 (C.33:1-24.1 et seq.) established a procedure for the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue special licenses to sell alcoholic beverages to corporations or other legal entities developing smart growth development projects.  The legislation also permitted a municipality in which there is located an urban enterprise zone and a Planning Area 1 (Metropolitan), as designated pursuant to the "State Planning Act," to acquire and sell any existing plenary retail consumption licenses within the municipality that are inactive only for use in a development project within a smart growth area.  In addition, municipalities were permitted to maintain the licenses so acquired in an inactive status for up to five years.  Plenary retail consumption licenses are the liquor licenses issued to bars and restaurants.

     Under this bill, a municipality that acquired, pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2007, c.351, an inactive plenary retail consumption license that remains inactive on the bill’s effective date may maintain that license in an inactive status for up to five additional years.  Moreover, if the license is still inactive five years after the bill’s effective date, the municipality may continue to maintain that license in an inactive status subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2018-2019 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to correct a technical error concerning an internal reference.