2015 -- H 5253

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LC000307

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- LICENSES GENERALLY

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Hearn, and Malik

     Date Introduced: January 29, 2015

     Referred To: House Municipal Government

     (by request)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 3-5-16 of the General Laws in Chapter 3-5 entitled "Licenses

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Generally" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     3-5-16. Maximum number of licenses. -- (a) (1) The department of business regulation

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shall have the right and power to limit the number of licenses of each class. The limit shall not

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exceed the maximum number, if any, of any class of license that is fixed by the licensing boards

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within their respective towns or cities.

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      (2) The number of Class C licenses in any town or city shall not exceed one for each one

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thousand (1,000) of its inhabitants.

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      (3) Every city and town may grant in any year renewals of any license of Class A in

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operation prior to April 28, 1969, except when renewal of that license is refused for cause, but no

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further new and original licenses of Class A shall be granted until the number of licenses of Class

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A outstanding in any city or town has been reduced to less than one for each six thousand (6,000)

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of its inhabitants (one for each four thousand (4,000) of its inhabitants in any city or town with

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less than twenty thousand (20,000) inhabitants), as determined by the last census taken under the

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authority of the United States or the state, by cancellation, revocation, or the failure of holders of

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those licenses to apply for renewals. After that reduction to less than one for each six thousand

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(6,000) inhabitants (one for each four thousand (4,000) inhabitants in any town or city with less

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than twenty thousand (20,000) inhabitants), licenses of Class A may be granted in any year by

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any city or town only up to a total not exceeding one for each six thousand (6,000) of its

 

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inhabitants (one for each four thousand (4,000) of its inhabitants in any town or city with less

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than twenty thousand (20,000) inhabitants) as determined by census as required in this

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subsection. However, two (2) Class A licenses may be issued by every city or town of the state

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irrespective of population and, until the qualified electors of any city or town shall vote to the

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contrary, one Class A license may be issued in every city or town in this state unless otherwise

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ordered by the city or town council, except the town of Barrington.

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      Any Class A license issued to or held by a Class E licensee pursuant to the provisions of

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ยง 3-7-5 shall be included in the total of, and subject to the limit upon the number of, Class A

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licenses which may be granted by any city or town under this section.

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      (b) The transfer of any existing license from the holder of this license to another person

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shall not be considered as the issuance of a new license under this section.

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      (c) The several cities and towns, except those cities and towns that had in effect on June

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1, 1971, a limit on the number of retailers' Class B or D licenses, shall not issue any new retailers'

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Class B or D licenses until May 1, 1972. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any

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application filed on or before May 30, 1971.

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     SECTION 2. If any provision of this act, or the application thereof to the town of

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Barrington or to any person or circumstances, is deemed invalid for any reason, the remainder of

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this act, or the application of such provision to said town or other persons or circumstances, shall

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not be affected thereby and, to this end, the provisions of this act are declared to be severable.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- LICENSES GENERALLY

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     This act would remove the prohibition of the town of Barrington from issuing Class A

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licenses.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC000307

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