What's happening
This bill authorizes community liaisons between the State Liquor Authority and New York City community boards and strengthens the problem premises task force process.
Why it matters
Strengthens local oversight and responsiveness. By establishing a dedicated community liaison for each NYC community board, the bill gives local neighborhoods a direct, ongoing connection to the State Liquor Authority, potentially making it easier for residents and local officials to raise concerns and stay informed about liquor license activity in their area.
Enhances transparency and communication. The liaison’s duties—including ensuring boards receive timely notifications on license applications, regular meeting agendas, and attending board meetings—aim to keep community boards better informed and more involved in decisions that could affect quality of life, public safety, and neighborhood character.
Speeds up and clarifies enforcement against problematic establishments. By tightening the timelines for investigations and disciplinary proceedings against businesses that threaten public health or safety, and allowing limited extensions only with written justification, the bill seeks to address problem bars or clubs more efficiently, reducing the impact of dangerous establishments on surrounding communities.
Empowers community boards in enforcement processes. Explicitly recognizing NYC community boards as the relevant local legislative body in the problem premises task force process gives them a stronger, formalized role in flagging and helping address establishments that create community problems, increasing local input into state-level enforcement decisions.
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
Headline styles
Connect Liquor Authority, Community Boards
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to investigations and government operations
- Referred to investigations and government operations
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.
Appoint Liquor Board Liaisons
In Assembly Committee · Economic Development · Sponsor Ron Kim
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5383
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 29, 2019
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations
AN ACT to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to authorizing the establishment of a liaison between the state liquor authority and local community boards, and the New York alcoholic beverage control problem premises task force
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The alcoholic beverage control law is amended by adding a new section 110-c to read as follows:
§ 110-c. Community liaison. 1. The authority is authorized to designate a community liaison for each community board located in the city of New York.
2. The community liaison, upon request of a community board, shall ensure that such board receives all or a select number of notifications of relevant license and permit applications, hearing notices and license or permit application dispositions related to license or permit issuance, renewal, modifications or alterations that are required under the provisions of this chapter.
3. The community liaison shall:
(a) attend a meeting of the community board, upon the request of such board, for which he or she is acting as the liaison;
(b) attend, at least once each year, upon the request of each community board, a meeting of such board, to help build a knowledgeable and meaningful relationship between the authority and such board, and to understand the issues faced by the surrounding community;
(c) submit reports to the authority with respect to issues or concerns raised by such board; and
(d) upon request of the community board, notify such board of regularly scheduled meetings of the authority that could be of interest to such
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03881-01-9
S. 5383 2
board and provide an agenda for such meeting at least fifteen days prior to the meeting.
§ 2. Section 131 of the alcoholic beverage control law, as added by section 1 of part J of chapter 56 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
§ 131. New York alcoholic beverage control problem premises task force. 1. There is hereby created within the authority the New York alcoholic beverage control problem premises task force (hereinafter "task force"), which shall consist of employees of the authority as designated by the members of the authority, provided however, that the task force shall include at least one investigator each from the Albany office, [one investigator from] the Buffalo office, and [one investigator from] the New York city office.
2. In any case where the authority receives notification from the mayor, chief of police, police commissioner, sheriff, or local legislative body of any city, town or village which certifies that continued operation of an on-premises establishment poses [a] an actual or potentially significant threat to the public health, safety, or welfare [requiring] of the surrounding community that requires immediate action, the authority shall assign responsibility for conducting an investigation concerning such premises to the task force. In the city of New York, the community board established pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred of the New York city charter with jurisdiction over the area in which such premises is located shall be considered the appropriate local legislative body.
3. Not more than fourteen calendar days after receipt by the authority of a notification as provided in this section, the task force shall commence an investigation into the operation of the establishment. The task force shall complete its investigation and the authority shall commence a disciplinary hearing proceeding pursuant to this chapter for revocation or other appropriate action within forty-five calendar days, unless the task force determines in written findings that more time is needed to satisfactorily complete such investigation or that no disciplinary charges are warranted. Such extension of time for completion of the investigation shall be for no more than sixty calendar days. A copy of any such determination shall be sent to the mayor, chief of police, police commissioner, sheriff, or local legislative body of the city, town or village that filed the notification with the authority. The authority shall notify the mayor, chief of police, police commissioner, sheriff, or local legislative body of the city, town or village that filed the notification to the authority of the final disposition of the disciplinary proceeding within ten business days of the completion of this process.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
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 authorizing the establishment of a liaison between the state liquor authority and local community boards, and the New York alcoholic beverage control problem premises task force
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill authorizes the State Liquor Authority (SLA) to establish a community liaison to help facilitate communication between the Authority and the various Community Boards located in New York City. Facilitating communication between the SLA and local New York City Community Boards is important so that such community boards have a better idea of the kinds of applications that are pending before the SLA. Further, it will make it easier for the SLA to take into account the suggestions and comments of each Community Board and individuals who live in the commu- nities under the jurisdiction of such community boards with regards to licenses and permits issued by the SLA for the consumption and sale of alcoholic beverages.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: Adds a new Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (ABC Law) section 110-c to authorize the SLA to establish the position of State Liquor Authority Community Liaison for each community board in the City of New York.
Read the full memo (672 words)
The provisions for the creation and responsibilities of these community liaison positions are as follows:
1. The authority shall appoint a community liaison for each community board in the city of New York.
2. The community liaison is required, upon request of such community board, to ensure that the community board receives in a timely manner all or a select number of notifications of license or permit issuance or renewal that are required under the provisions of this chapter. To help ensure that the number of notifications that are sent to the local community board are meaningful, such board and the SLA can agree to send only the most controversial notifications and hearing notices, such as those related to large establishments that sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.
3. The community liaison is responsible for:
(a) regularly attending the meetings of the community board for which he or she is acting as the liaison, upon request of such community board;
(b) upon the request of the community board, attending at least once a year, a community board meeting;
(c) submitting reports to the authority with respect to issues of concern raised by the community board for which he or she is the liai- son; and
(d), upon request of such community board, informing the community board of regularly scheduled meetings of the Authority that would be of inter- est to the local community and providing an agenda for such meeting at least fifteen days prior to the meeting.
Sections 2: Amends ABC Law section 131 to expand the kinds of actions that are covered by the New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Problem Premises Task Force to include not only problems occurring at establish- ments that serve alcohol for on-premises consumption, but also those situations that could potentially pose a significant threat to the public health, safety, or welfare of the surrounding community.
Justification
The ABC law mandates that the New York State Liquor Authority take into consideration the opinions of the Community Board before a liquor license for any establishment is issued, modified, altered, or renewed. The SLA does notify local community boards of pending applications, but unfortunately not with enough time for the community board to provide meaningful comments on such applications, especially for those for licenses for on-premises consumption. Authorizing the SLA to designate a community liaison for each community board should help to facilitate communication between the SLA and community board. This measure is a pro-active way to provide to the SLA meaningful community input on applications for alcoholic beverage licenses and permits before they are issued by the Authority.
Prior legislative history
06/08/2017 referred to economic development 01/03/2018 referred to economic development
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
180 Days after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.