Bill Text: CT HB06981 | 2015 | General Assembly | Introduced

Connecticut House Bill 6981 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: An Act Extending Package Store, Drug Store, Beer Manufacturer, Beer And Brew Pub Manufacturer, Grocery Store, Farm Winery, Nonprofit Golf Tournament And Farmers' Market Wine Sales Permit Hours Of Operation.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-06 - Referred to Joint Committee on General Law [HB06981 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2015-HB06981-Introduced.html


General Assembly		*Raised Bill No. 6981*
*January Session, 2015*		LCO No. 4789
		04789_______GL_
Referred to Committee on GENERAL LAW
Introduced by:
(GL)

AN ACT EXTENDING PACKAGE STORE, DRUG STORE, BEER MANUFACTURER, BEER AND BREW PUB MANUFACTURER, GROCERY STORE, FARM WINERY, NONPROFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT AND FARMERS' MARKET WINE SALES PERMIT HOURS OF OPERATION.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 30-91 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2015):

(a) The sale or the dispensing or consumption or the presence in glasses or other receptacles suitable to permit the consumption of alcoholic liquor by an individual in places operating under hotel permits, restaurant permits, cafe permits, restaurant permits for catering establishments, bowling establishment permits, racquetball facility permits, club permits, coliseum permits, coliseum concession permits, special sporting facility restaurant permits, special sporting facility employee recreational permits, special sporting facility guest permits, special sporting facility concession permits, special sporting facility bar permits, golf country club permits, nonprofit public museum permits, university permits, airport restaurant permits, airport bar permits, airport airline club permits, tavern permits, a manufacturer permit for a brew pub, manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs, casino permits, caterer liquor permits and charitable organization permits shall be unlawful on: (1) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between the hours of one o'clock a.m. and nine o'clock a.m.; (2) Saturday between the hours of two o'clock a.m. and nine o'clock a.m.; (3) Sunday between the hours of two o'clock a.m. and eleven o'clock a.m.; (4) Christmas, except (A) for alcoholic liquor that is served where food is also available during the hours otherwise permitted by this section for the day on which Christmas falls, and (B) by casino permittees at casinos, as defined in section 30-37k; and (5) January first between the hours of three o'clock a.m. and nine o'clock a.m., except that on any Sunday that is January first the prohibitions of this section shall be between the hours of three o'clock a.m. and eleven o'clock a.m.

(b) Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which sales under subsection (a) of this section, except sales pursuant to an airport restaurant permit, airport bar permit or airport airline club permit, shall be permissible. In all cases when a town, either by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, has acted on the sale of alcoholic liquor or the reduction of the number of hours when such sale is permissible, such action shall become effective on the first day of the month succeeding such action and no further action shall be taken until at least one year has elapsed since the previous action was taken.

(c) Notwithstanding any provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, such sale or dispensing or consumption or presence in glasses in places operating under a bowling establishment permit shall be unlawful before two p.m. on any day, except in that portion of the permit premises which is located in a separate room or rooms entry to which, from the bowling lane area of the establishment, is by means of a door or doors which shall remain closed at all times except to permit entrance and egress to and from the lane area. Any alcoholic liquor sold or dispensed in a place operating under a bowling establishment permit shall be served in containers such as, but not limited to, plastic or glass. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which sales under this subsection shall be permissible.

(d) The sale or dispensing of alcoholic liquor in places operating under package store permits, drug store permits, manufacturer permits for beer, manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs or grocery store beer permits shall be unlawful on Thanksgiving Day, New Year's Day or Christmas; and such sale or dispensing of alcoholic liquor in places operating under package store permits, drug store permits, manufacturer permits for beer, manufacturer permits for beer and brew pubs and grocery store beer permits shall be unlawful on Sunday before ten o'clock a.m. and after [five] eight o'clock p.m. and on any other day before eight o'clock a.m. and after [nine] ten o'clock p.m. It shall be unlawful for the holder of a manufacturer permit for a brew pub to sell beer for consumption off the premises on the days or hours prohibited by this subsection. Any town may, by a vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which such sale shall be permissible.

(e) (1) In the case of any premises operating under a tavern permit, wherein, under the provisions of this section, the sale of alcoholic liquor is forbidden on certain days or hours of the day, or during the period when a tavern permit is suspended, it shall likewise be unlawful to keep such premises open to, or permit it to be occupied by, the public on such days or hours.

(2) In the case of any premises operating under a cafe permit, it shall be unlawful to keep such premises open to, or permit such premises to be occupied by, the public between the hours of one o'clock a.m. and six o'clock a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and between the hours of two o'clock a.m. and six o'clock a.m. on Saturday and Sunday or during any period of time when such permit is suspended, provided the sale or the dispensing or consumption of alcohol on such premises operating under such cafe permit shall be prohibited beyond the hours authorized for the sale or dispensing or consumption of alcohol for such premises under this section.

(3) Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter, in the case of any premises operating under a tavern or cafe permit, it shall be lawful for such premises to be open to, or be occupied by, the public when such premises is being used as a site for film, television, video or digital production eligible for a film production tax credit pursuant to section 12-217jj, provided the sale or the dispensing or consumption of alcohol on such premises operating under such tavern or cafe permit shall be prohibited beyond the hours authorized for the sale or the dispensing or consumption of alcohol for such premises under this section.

(f) The retail sale of wine and the tasting of free samples of wine by visitors and prospective retail customers of a permittee holding a manufacturer permit for a farm winery on the premises of such permittee shall be unlawful on Sunday before eleven o'clock a.m. and after [nine] ten o'clock p.m. and on any other day before ten o'clock a.m. and after [nine] ten o'clock p.m. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which sales and the tasting of free samples of wine under this subsection shall be permissible.

(g) Notwithstanding any provision of subsection (a) of this section, food or nonalcoholic beverages may be sold, dispensed or consumed in places operating under an airport restaurant permit, an airport bar permit or an airport airline club permit, at any time, as allowed by agreement between the state of Connecticut and its lessees or concessionaires.

(h) The sale or the dispensing or consumption or the presence in glasses or other receptacles suitable to permit the consumption of alcoholic liquor by an individual in places operating under a nonprofit golf tournament permit shall be unlawful on any day prior to eleven o'clock a.m. and after [nine] ten o'clock p.m.

(i) The tasting of free samples of beer by visitors of a permittee holding a manufacturing permit for beer on the premises of such permittee shall be unlawful on Sunday before eleven o'clock a.m. and after eight o'clock p.m. and on any other day before ten o'clock a.m. and after eight o'clock p.m. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the right of a holder of such permit to conduct manufacturing operations at any time. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which the tasting and free samples of beer under this subsection shall be permissible.

(j) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any permittee to continue the sale or dispensing of alcoholic liquor until the closing hour established under this section.

(k) The retail sale of wine and the tasting of free samples of wine by visitors and prospective retail customers of a permittee holding a wine festival permit or an out-of-state entity wine festival permit issued pursuant to section 30-37l or 30-37m shall be unlawful on Sunday before eleven o'clock a.m. and after eight o'clock p.m., and on any other day before ten o'clock a.m. and after eight o'clock p.m. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which the retail sale of wine and the tasting of free samples of wine pursuant to this subsection shall be permissible.

(l) The sale of wine at a farmers' market by a permittee holding a farmers' market wine sales permit pursuant to subsection (a) of section 30-37o shall be unlawful on any day before eight o'clock a.m. and after [nine] ten o'clock p.m., provided such permittee shall not sell such wine at a farmers' market at any time during such hours that the farmers' market is not open to the public. Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which sales of wine under this subsection shall be permissible.

(m) Notwithstanding any provision of subsection (a) of this section, it shall be lawful for casino permittees at casinos, as defined in section 30-37k, to allow the presence of alcoholic liquor in glasses or other receptacles suitable to permit the consumption thereof by an individual at any time on its gaming facility, as defined in subsection (a) of section 30-37k, provided such alcoholic liquor shall not be served to a patron of such casino during the hours specified in subsection (a) of this section. For purposes of this section, "receptacles suitable to permit the consumption of alcoholic liquor" shall not include bottles of distilled spirits or bottles of wine.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	July 1, 2015	30-91

Statement of Purpose:

To extend the hours of operation for package store, drug store, beer manufacturer, beer and brew pub manufacturer, grocery store, farm winery, nonprofit golf tournament and farmers' market wine sales permits.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]