Bill Text: HI HB137 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Liquor.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-06-17 - Act 076, on 06/17/2022 (Gov. Msg. No. 1176). [HB137 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-HB137-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
137 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to liquor.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 281-17, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a) The liquor commission, within its own county, shall have the jurisdiction, power, authority, and discretion, subject only to this chapter:
(1) To grant, refuse, suspend, and revoke any license for the manufacture, importation, and sale of liquors;
(2) To take appropriate action against a person who, directly or indirectly, manufactures, sells, or purchases any liquor without being authorized pursuant to this chapter; provided that in counties that have established by charter a liquor control adjudication board, the board shall have the jurisdiction, power, authority, and discretion to hear and determine administrative complaints of the director regarding violations of the liquor laws of the State or of the rules of the liquor commission, and impose penalties for violations thereof as may be provided by law;
(3) To control, supervise, and regulate the manufacture, importation, and sale of liquors by investigation, enforcement, and education; provided that any educational program shall be limited to the commission staff, commissioners, liquor control adjudication board members, and licensees and their employees, and shall be financed through the money collected from the assessment of fines against licensees; provided that fine moneys, not to exceed ten per cent a year of fines accumulated, may be used to fund public liquor-related educational or enforcement programs;
(4) From time to time to make, amend, and repeal rules, not inconsistent with this chapter, as in the judgment of the commission are deemed appropriate for carrying out this chapter and for the efficient administration thereof, and the proper conduct of the business of all licensees, including every matter or thing required to be done or which may be done with the approval or consent, by order, under the direction or supervision of, or as prescribed by the commission; which rules, when adopted as provided in chapter 91 shall have the force and effect of law;
(5) Subject to chapter 76, to appoint and remove an administrator, who may also be appointed an investigator and who shall be responsible for the operations and activities of the staff. The administrator may hire and remove hearing officers, investigators, and clerical or other assistants as its business may from time to time require, prescribe their duties and fix their compensation, and engage the services of experts and persons engaged in the practice of a profession, if deemed expedient. Every investigator, within the scope of the investigator's duties, shall have the powers of a police officer;
(6) To limit the number of licenses of any class or kind within the county, or the number of licenses of any class or kind to do business in any given locality, when in the judgment of the commission such limitations are in the public interest;
(7) To prescribe the nature of the proof to be furnished, the notices to be given, and the conditions to be met or observed in case of the issuance of a duplicate license in place of one alleged to have been lost or destroyed, including a requirement of any indemnity deemed appropriate to the case;
(8) To fix the hours between which licensed premises of any class or classes may regularly be open for the transaction of business, which shall be uniform throughout the county as to each class respectively;
(9) To prescribe all forms to be used for the purposes of this chapter not otherwise provided for in this chapter, and the character and manner of keeping of books, records, and accounts to be kept by licensees in any matter pertaining to their business;
(10) To investigate
violations of this chapter[, chapter 244D] and, notwithstanding any law
to the contrary, violations of the applicable department of health's allowable
noise levels, through its investigators or otherwise, to include covert
operations, and to report violations to the prosecuting officer for prosecution
[and,] where appropriate[,]. Investigations of violations of chapter 244D shall
be referred to the director of taxation to hear and determine complaints
against any licensee;
(11) To prescribe, by rule, the terms, conditions, and circumstances under which persons or any class of persons may be employed by holders of licenses;
(12) To prescribe, by rule, the term of any license or solicitor's and representative's permit authorized by this chapter, the annual or prorated amount, the manner of payment of fees for the licenses and permits, and the amount of filing fees;
(13) To prescribe, by rule, regulations on dancing in licensed premises; and
(14) To prescribe, by rule, the circumstances and penalty for the unauthorized manufacturing or selling of any liquor."
SECTION 2. Section 281-20, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§281-20 General right of
inspection. Any investigator may, at
all times, without notice and without any search warrant or other legal
process, visit and have immediate access to every part of the premises of every
licensee for the purpose of making any examination or inspection thereof or inquiry
into the books and records therein, to ascertain whether all of the conditions
of the license and all provisions of this chapter [and chapter 244D] are
being complied with by the licensee."
SECTION 3. Section 281-45, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§281-45 No license issued, when. No license shall be issued under this chapter:
(1) To
any minor or to any person who has been convicted of a felony and not pardoned[,
or to any other person not deemed by the commission to be a fit and proper
person to have a license]; provided that the commission may grant a license
under this chapter to a corporation that has been convicted of a felony where
the commission finds that the corporation's officers and shareholders of
twenty-five per cent or more of outstanding stock are fit [and proper
persons to have a license];
(2) To
a corporation the officers and directors of which, or any of them, would be
disqualified under paragraph (1) from obtaining the license individually, or a
stockholder of which, owning or controlling twenty-five per cent or more of the
outstanding capital stock, or to a general partnership, limited partnership,
limited liability partnership, or limited liability company whose partner or
member holding twenty-five per cent or more interest of which, or any of them
would be disqualified under paragraph (1) from obtaining the license
individually; provided that for publicly-traded companies or entities
ultimately solely owned by a publicly-traded company, only the officers and
directors designated as primary decision-makers shall be considered to
determine disqualification under paragraph (1);
(3) Unless
the applicant for a license or a renewal of a license, or in the case of a
transfer of a license, both the transferor and the transferee, present to the
issuing agency a tax clearance certificate from the department of taxation showing
that the applicant or the transferor and transferee do not owe the state
government any delinquent taxes, penalties, or interest; or that the
applicant, or in the case of a transfer of a license, the transferor or
transferee, has entered into an installment plan agreement with the department
of taxation for the payment of delinquent taxes in installments and that the
applicant is or the transferor or transferee is, in the case of a transfer of a
license, complying with the installment plan agreement; provided that when the
applicant or the transferor or transferee, in the case of a transfer of a
license, is validly challenging a tax assessment, penalty, or other proceeding
that prevents the issuance of a signed certificate from the appropriate federal
or state tax agency, the commission shall issue a license that is valid for the
period of time necessary to resolve the challenge;
(4) To an applicant for a class 2, class 4 except for convenience minimarts, class 5, class 6, class 11, class 12, class 13, class 14, class 15, class 17, or class 18 license unless the applicant for issuance of a license or renewal of a license, or in the case of a transfer of a license, both the transferor and the transferee, present to the issuing agency proof of liquor liability insurance coverage in an amount of $1,000,000; or
(5) To any applicant who has had any liquor license revoked less than two years previous to the date of the application for any like or other license under this chapter."
SECTION 4. Section 281-53, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§281-53 Application; penalty for false statements.
Every application for a license or for the renewal of a license or for
the transfer of a license shall be in writing, signed [and, except for the
renewal of a license, verified by the oath of the applicant,], and notarized
by the applicant, or in the case of a corporation or unincorporated
association by the proper officer or officers thereof, or if a partnership by a
general partner thereof, or if a limited liability partnership by a partner
thereof, or if a member-managed limited liability company by a member thereof, or
if a manager-managed limited liability company by a manager thereof, [made
before any official authorized by law to administer oaths,] and shall be
addressed to the liquor commission, and set forth:
(1) The
full name, age, and place of residence of the applicant; if a copartnership,
the names, ages, and respective places of residence of all the partners; if a
limited liability company, its full name and the names of all its members; if a
corporation or joint-stock company, its full name and the names of its officers
and directors, and the names of all stockholders owning twenty-five per cent or
more of the outstanding capital stock; if a publicly-traded company, or an
entity ultimately solely owned by a publicly-traded company, the names of the
officers designated as the primary decision-makers regarding the purchase and
sale of liquor; and if any other association of individuals, the names, ages,
and respective places of residence of its officers and the number of its members;
(2) A
particular description of the place or premises where the proposed license is
to be exercised, so that the exact location and extent thereof may be clearly
and definitely determined therefrom;
(3) The
class and kind of license applied for; and
(4) Any
other matter or information pertinent to the subject matter which may be
required by the rules of the commission.
[If any false statement is knowingly
made in any application which is verified by oath, the applicant, and in the
case of the application being made by a corporation, limited liability company,
association, or club, the persons signing the application, shall be guilty of
perjury, and shall be subject to the penalties prescribed by law for such
offense.] If any false statement is
knowingly made in any application which is not verified by oath, the person or
persons signing the application shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon
conviction thereof shall be punished as in section 281-102 provided."
SECTION 5. Section 281-55, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§281-55
Reference to investigator.
Upon the filing of any application the administrator of the liquor
commission shall indorse thereon the date of filing thereof. If no patent disqualification of the
applicant or certain valid objection to the granting of the application is
apparent initially and if all requirements relative to the filing of the
application appear to have been complied with, the application shall be
referred to the investigator for investigation[.] at the discretion of
the administrator of the liquor commission."
SECTION 6. Section 281-56, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a) On every application
referred to the investigator under section 281-55, the investigator shall
report in writing to the liquor commission and, if the application is for a
license of any class other than class 8, class 9, or class 10, such report
shall include:
(1) A
description of the premises intended to become the licensed premises, and the
equipment and surrounding conditions, including the relationship to surrounding
residences which may share a common boundary or a common structure with the
premises proposed for licensing;
(2) If
the application is made by a person who has held a prior license for the same
or any other premises within two years past, a statement as to the manner in which
the premises have been operated and the business conducted under the previous
license;
(3) The
locality of any church, chapel, or school, if any, within a distance of five
hundred feet from the nearest point of the premises for which the license is asked
to the nearest point of the church, chapel, or school grounds;
(4) The
number, position, and distance from the premises, in respect of which a license
is applied for, of any other licensed premises of the same class in the
neighborhood;
(5) The
number of licenses of the same class or kind already issued and being lawfully
exercised within the county;
[(6) Whether
or not in the opinion of the investigator the applicant is a fit and proper
person to have a license;
(7)] (6) Whether or not the applicant is for any reason
disqualified by this chapter from obtaining or exercising a license; and
whether or not the applicant has complied with all the requirements of this
chapter relative to the making and filing of the applicant's application;
[(8)] (7) For the next application by the same applicant
for a license in the same physical location that was previously denied,
refused, or withdrawn, evidence, to be provided by the applicant, of a
substantial change in the circumstances that caused the previous denial,
refusal, or withdrawal; and
[(9)] (8) [Any and all other matters and things, that
in the judgment of the investigator pertain to or affect the matter of the
application, or the issuance or the exercise of the license applied for;
provided that when the license application is for premises within a county with
a population of five hundred thousand residents or more, the report shall specify
the] The possible adverse effects the premises, after licensing, may
have on the surrounding community if the license application is for premises
within a county having a population of five hundred thousand residents or more."
SECTION 7. Section 281-79, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§281-79 Entry for examination;
obstructing liquor commission operations; penalty. Every investigator
shall, and any officer having police power may, at all reasonable times, and at
any time whatsoever if there is any reasonable ground for suspicion that the
conditions of any license are being violated, without warrant enter into and
upon any licensed premises and inspect the same and every part thereof, and any
books or records therein, to ascertain whether or not all conditions of the
license and all provisions of this chapter [and chapter 244D] are
being complied with by the licensee.
If any investigator or officer, or
any person called by the investigator or officer to the investigator's or officer's
aid, is threatened with the use of violence, force, or physical interference or
obstacle, or is hindered, obstructed, or prevented by any licensee, the
licensee's employees, or any other person from entering into [any such] the
premises, or whenever any investigator or officer is by any licensee, the
licensee's employees, or any other person opposed, obstructed, or molested in
the performance of the officer's duty in any respect, the licensee, the
licensee's employee, or any other person shall be fined not more than $2,000 or
imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Whenever any investigator or officer, having demanded admittance into any licensed premises and declared the investigator's or officer's name and office, is not admitted by the licensee or the person in charge of the premises, it shall be lawful for the investigator or officer to forcibly and in any manner to break into and enter the premises."
SECTION 8. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 9. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Liquor Licensing; Liquor Tax Law; Applications; Investigations
Description:
Provides that
violations of liquor tax law shall be referred to the director of taxation for investigation.
Repeals the general right of inspection without
a warrant for potential violations of liquor tax law. Repeals the discretionary power of the liquor commission
to deny a license to any person the commission finds is not fit and proper to hold
a license. Requires applications for liquor
licenses to be notarized. Provides the administrator
of the liquor commission discretion over whether to refer applications for investigation.
Repeals the requirement that investigative
reports to the liquor commission include any and all matters that are relevant to
the application or license in the judgment of the investigator.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
