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History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to investigations and government operations
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to conferring rule making powers upon the authority in connection with what constitutes a grocery store
Purpose
This bill would confer upon the State Liquor Authority (SLA) rule-making powers in connection with what constitutes a grocery store.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill would amend Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law § 3(13) to empower the SLA to adopt, promulgate, amend and repeal such rules and regulations as the SLA may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of ABC Law § 3(13).
Section 2 of the bill would provide for an immediate effective date.
Existing law
ABC Law § 3(13) does not currently empower the SLA to promulgate rules to enforce the provisions of this section.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Statement in support
The SLA seeks to clarify, through rule making, the standards by which an establishment can be deemed a "grocery store" under the ABC Law. Only grocery stores and drug stores are eligible for a license to sell beer for off-premises consumption. The definition in the ABC Law dates back to 1934, before the development of convenience stores and mini-marts. Since many of these establishments do not fit into the definition of a traditional grocery store, the SLA issued a Divisional Order that imposes rigorous inventory standards that an applicant must meet to be considered a bona fide grocery store. However, with convenience stores expanding the types of services they provide, these establishments find it difficult, if not impossible, to meet those inventory standards.
In addition, the convenience store industry has questioned the SLA's ability to impose the inventory standard by use of the Divisional Order, rather than by regulation. The SLA does not have rule making power in this area. Clarifying the standards through limited rule making would permit the issuance of a grocery store beer or a grocery store beer and wine product license to persons operating convenience stores, and will ensure that affected parties will have an opportunity to participate in the process, and will provide ready access to standards once the rule is promulgated.
Budget implications
None.
Effective date
This bill would be effective immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.