What's happening
The bill allows patrons to take open alcoholic beverages outside licensed premises within designated leisure and recreation districts, as established by local law.
Why it matters
Empowers local governments to create "leisure and recreation districts,". giving municipalities more direct control over where open alcohol can be carried and consumed in public, thus allowing for tailored community decisions rather than a statewide mandate.
Could boost local economies and tourism. by enabling entertainment zones (such as downtowns or festival areas) where people can freely move with drinks, potentially increasing foot traffic and business for bars, restaurants, and nearby shops.
Includes safeguards and limits. Open alcohol must remain within the district boundaries, and local ordinances must provide penalties for violations, aiming to balance new freedoms with public order and safety.
Redefines public space use and alcohol policy,. signaling a shift in how New York State treats outdoor drinking in specific, supervised areas, and setting a precedent for regulated open-container zones elsewhere.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Drinks To-Go Zones
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to economic development
- Print number 6525a
- Amend (t) and recommit to economic development
- Referred to economic development
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Allow Alcohol To-Go Zones
In Assembly Committee · Economic Development · Sponsor Rich Funke
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6525--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 9, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. LUPARDO, JENNE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Economic Development -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the alcoholic beverage control law and the general municipal law, in relation to allowing patrons to remove alcohol from a licensed premises in a leisure and recreation district
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 106 of the alcoholic beverage control law is amended by adding a new subdivision 18 to read as follows:
18. Removal of alcohol from a licensed premises in a leisure and recreation district. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, any holder of a license to sell alcoholic beverages issued under sections fifty-one, fifty-one-a, fifty-five, fifty-eight, fiftyeight-a, sixty-one, sixty-four, sixty-four-a, sixty-four-c, sixty-four-d, seventy-six, seventy-six-a, seventy-six-c, seventy-six-d, eighty-one and eighty-one-a of this chapter or a permit issued under sections ninety-seven, ninety-seven-a and ninety-eight of this chapter may sell or otherwise provide alcoholic beverages to a patron of the license holder in the manner authorized in the license and the patron may remove an open glass, cup or other container of the beer, cider, liquor; or wine from the licensed premises and may possess and consume the beer, cider, liquor, or wine outside of the licensed premises if: (a) the licensed premises is located within a leisure and recreation district and (b) the patron remains in possession of the beer, cider, liquor, or wine within the boundaries of the leisure and recreation district in which they obtained the beverage. Nothing contained in this section shall restrict the privileges for a licensee or permittee to sell beer for consumption off-premises.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06659-05-7
A. 6525--A 2
§ 2. Section 3 of the alcoholic beverage control law is amended by adding a new subdivision 16 to read as follows:
16. "Leisure and recreation district" shall mean an area officially designated by local law of the governing body of a municipality as a leisure and recreation district.
§ 3. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 72-s to read as follows:
§ 72-s. Designation of leisure and recreation districts. Subject to the provisions of this section, the governing body of a municipality, as defined in subdivision three of section two hundred thirty-nine-b of this chapter, may establish by local law one or more leisure and recreation districts within the corporate boundaries of the municipality and designate the geographic area or areas to be included within the district. The governing body of a municipality, by local law may modify the boundaries of a leisure and recreation district. The governing body of a municipality shall provide that individuals possessing alcoholic beverages within the leisure and recreation district may not remove them from the leisure and recreation district and shall be subject to a civil penalty if they remove alcoholic beverages from the leisure and recreation district unless such beverages were purchased for off-premises consumption.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.