| Chapter 044 |
| 2020 -- S 2861 Enacted 06/27/2020 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- CLASS A LIQUOR LICENSES |
| Introduced By: Senator Stephen R. Archambault |
| Date Introduced: June 10, 2020 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 3-5-16 of the General Laws in Chapter 3-5 entitled "Licenses |
| Generally" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 3-5-16. Maximum number of licenses. |
| (a)(1) The department of business regulation shall have the right and power to limit the |
| number of licenses of each class. The limit shall not exceed the maximum number, if any, of any |
| class of license that is fixed by the licensing boards within their respective towns or cities. |
| (2) The number of Class C licenses in any town or city shall not exceed one for each one |
| thousand (1,000) of its inhabitants. |
| (3) Every city and town may grant in any year renewals of any license of Class A in |
| operation prior to April 28, 1969, except when renewal of that license is refused for cause, but no |
| further new and original licenses of Class A shall be granted until the number of licenses of Class |
| A outstanding in any city or town has been reduced to less than one for each six thousand (6,000) |
| of its inhabitants (one for each four thousand (4,000) of its inhabitants in any city or town with less |
| than twenty thousand (20,000) inhabitants), as determined by the last census taken under the |
| authority of the United States or the state, by cancellation, revocation, or the failure of holders of |
| those licenses to apply for renewals. After that reduction to less than one for each six thousand |
| (6,000) inhabitants (one for each four thousand (4,000) inhabitants in any town or city with less |
| than twenty thousand (20,000) inhabitants), licenses of Class A may be granted in any year by any |
| city or town only up to a total not exceeding one for each six thousand (6,000) of its inhabitants |
| (one for each four thousand (4,000) of its inhabitants in any town or city with less than twenty |
| thousand (20,000) inhabitants) as determined by census as required in this subsection. However, |
| two (2) Class A licenses may be issued by every city or town of the state irrespective of population |
| and, until the qualified electors of any city or town shall vote to the contrary, one Class A license |
| may be issued in every city or town in this state unless otherwise ordered by the city or town |
| council. |
| Any Class A license issued to or held by a Class E licensee pursuant to the provisions of ยง |
| 3-7-5 shall be included in the total of, and subject to the limit upon the number of, Class A licenses |
| which may be granted by any city or town under this section. |
| (b) The transfer of any existing license from the holder of this license to another person |
| shall not be considered as the issuance of a new license under this section. |
| (c) The several cities and towns, except those cities and towns that had in effect on June 1, |
| 1971, a limit on the number of retailers' Class B or D licenses, shall not issue any new retailers' |
| Class B or D licenses until May 1, 1972. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any |
| application filed on or before May 30, 1971. |
| (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, irrespective of the |
| population of the town of Smithfield, it is expressly authorized to issue a total of five (5) Class A |
| liquor licenses. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC005408 |
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