Skip to content
S5150Senate2017-2018 SessionSame asA4945

Standardize Liquor License Fees

Official title

“Amends license fees to sell liquor at retail for on premises consumption outside the city of New York to standardize such fees”

Sponsor Terrence P. MurphySD-40Affects Economy
Status
In Senate Committee
Rules
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Rules

What's happening

This bill amends the alcoholic beverage control law by removing license fee distinctions for certain city populations and updating related language.

Why it matters

  1. Standardizes license fees across cities by removing distinctions based on population size,. which could make the fee structure simpler and potentially fairer for businesses operating in small and mid-sized cities.

  2. May reduce or increase costs for certain establishments. in cities that previously had lower or higher fees due to their population category, impacting their operating expenses and possibly influencing where new businesses choose to open.

  3. Could streamline administrative processes. for the state and applicants by eliminating the need to determine city population brackets, reducing confusion and paperwork related to license fee calculations.

The daily · weekday mornings

Albany, before your first meeting.

Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.

Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.

Who cares

  • On-premises liquor licensees in cities outside New York City

    The bill would lower the standard annual fee from $1,536 to $896 in cities with populations over 100,000 and under one million, and from $1,216 to $896 in cities with populations over 50,000 and under 100,000.

  • Catering establishments in affected cities

    Their annual license fees would fall because they pay two-thirds of the standard fee.

  • Clubs, luncheon clubs and golf clubs

    The bill would leave their separately specified annual license fees unchanged.

  • State Liquor Authority

    The authority would administer the revised fee schedule beginning April 1, 2019, while retaining discretion to grant prorated seasonal licenses.

Headline styles

Standardize Liquor License Fees

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Terrence P. Murphy

Senator · Senate District 40

Chair, Investigations And Government Operations

No co-sponsors yet.

History

  1. Reported and committed to rules
  2. Referred to commerce, economic development and small business
  3. Print number 5150a
  4. Amend and recommit to commerce, economic development and small business
  5. Referred to commerce, economic development and small business

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.

A4945Assembly

Standardize Liquor License Fees

In Assembly Committee · Economic Development · Sponsor Robin Schimminger

Impact 4 · Low0% to pass

Full text

2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

5150--A

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

March 9, 2017

Introduced by Sen. MURPHY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to license fees

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 66 of the alcoholic beverage control law, as amended by section 3 of part Z of chapter 85 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:

4. The annual fee for a license, under section sixty-four or sixtyfour-a of this article, to sell liquor at retail to be consumed on the premises where sold shall be twenty-one hundred seventy-six dollars in the counties of New York, Kings, Bronx and Queens; fifteen hundred thirty-six dollars in the county of Richmond [and in cities having a population of more than one hundred thousand and less than one million; twelve hundred sixteen dollars in cities having a population of more than fifty thousand and less than one hundred thousand]; and the sum of eight hundred ninety-six dollars elsewhere; except that the license fees for catering establishments shall be two-thirds the license fee specified herein and for clubs, except luncheon clubs and golf clubs, shall be seven hundred fifty dollars in counties of New York, Kings, Bronx and Queens; five hundred dollars in the county of Richmond and in cities having a population of more than one hundred thousand and less than one million; three hundred fifty dollars in cities having a population of more than fifty thousand and less than one hundred thousand; and the sum of two hundred fifty dollars elsewhere. The annual fees for luncheon clubs shall be three hundred seventy-five dollars, and for golf clubs in the counties of New York, Kings, Bronx, Queens, Nassau, Richmond and Westchester, two hundred fifty dollars, and elsewhere one hundred eight-

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD08629-02-7

S. 5150--A 2

y-seven dollars and fifty cents. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, there shall be no annual fee for a license, under section sixty-four of this article, to sell liquor at retail to be consumed on the premises where the applicant is an organization organized under section two hundred sixty of the military law and incorporated pursuant to the not-for-profit corporation law. Provided, however, that where any premises for which a license is issued pursuant to section sixty-four or sixty-four-a of this article remain open only within the period commencing April first and ending October thirty-first of any one year, or only within the period commencing October first and ending the following April thirtieth, the liquor authority may, in its discretion, grant a summer or winter license effective only for such appropriate period of time, for which a license fee shall be paid to be pro-rated for the period for which such license is effective, at the rate provided for in the city, town or village in which such premises are located, except that no such license fee shall be less than one-half of the regular annual license fee; provided further that where the premises to be licensed are a race track or a golf course or are licensed pursuant to section sixty-four or sixty-four-a of this [chapter] article, the period of such summer license may commence March first and end November thirtieth.

Where a hotel, restaurant, club, golf course or race track is open prior to April first and/or subsequent to October thirty-first by reason of the issuance of a caterer's permit or permits issued by the authority, such fact alone shall not affect the eligibility of the premises or the person owning or operating such hotel, restaurant, club, golf course or race track for a summer license.

§ 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2019.

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to license fees

Purpose

This bill would reduce license fees in medium-sized cities for estab- lishments licensed to sell liquor for on-premise consumption to match the fee charged in other communities outside the City of New York.

Summary of provisions

Section one amends subdivision 4 of § 66 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law to conform the liquor license fee for on-premise establish- ments in cities with a population of 50,000 or more other than New York City to the fee applicable in towns and smaller cities.

Section two establishes the effective date.

Justification

Enactment of this bill would reduce the financial burden on restaurants and other hospitality businesses in medium-sized cities and allow for greater economic growth in these communities. While the existing fee may have at one time reflected greater populations and attendant enforcement issues in cities, this is no longer that case with the population shift to the suburbs. Currently, a licensed establishment located in a smaller city must pay a higher license fee then if it were located in a neigh- boring town with a larger population. These higher fees discourage busi- ness investment in downtown communities, while encouraging further sprawl development in suburban areas.

Legislative history

2017: S.5150 - Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business 2015-2016: S.3959 - Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business 2013-14: S.2555-A - Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business 2011-12: S.4125-A - Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business 2009-10: A.2851-A - Economic Development 2007-08: A.3136 - Economic Development 2005-06: A.7676 - Economic Development 2003-04: S.3395 - Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business 2001-02: S.5468 - Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business

Fiscal implications

Minimal.

Effective date

This act shall take effect April 1, 2019.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.