Bill Text: NJ A4243 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits extension of alcoholic beverage license term during COVID-19 pandemic.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-06-08 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee [A4243 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A4243-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Permits extension of alcoholic beverage license term during COVID-19 pandemic.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning alcoholic beverage licenses and amending R.S.33:1-26.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.33:1-26 is amended to read as follows:
33:1-26. All licenses shall be for a term of one year from July 1 in each year. The respective fees for any such license shall be prorated according to the effective date of the license and based on the respective annual fee as in this chapter provided. Where the license fee deposited with the application exceeds the prorated fee, a refund of the excess shall be made to the licensee. Licenses are not transferable except as hereinafter provided. A separate license is required for each specific place of business and the operation and effect of every license is confined to the licensed premises. No retail license of any class shall be issued to any holder of a manufacturer's or wholesaler's license, and no manufacturer's or wholesaler's license shall be issued to the holder of a retail license of any class. Any person who shall exercise or attempt to exercise, or hold himself out as authorized to exercise, the rights and privileges of a licensee except the licensee and then only with respect to the licensed premises, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the contrary, the director may extend the term of a license beyond June 30 during a state of emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to Executive Order No. 103 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In case of death, bankruptcy, receivership or incompetency of the licensee, or if for any other reason whatsoever the operation of the business covered by the license shall devolve by operation of law upon a person other than the licensee, the director or the issuing authority may, in his or its discretion, extend the license for a limited time, not exceeding its term, to the executor, administrator, trustee, receiver or other person upon whom the same has devolved by operation of law as aforesaid. Under no circumstances, however, shall a license, or rights thereunder, be deemed property, subject to inheritance, sale, pledge, lien, levy, attachment, execution, seizure for debts, or any other transfer or disposition whatsoever, except for payment of taxes, fees, interest and penalties imposed by any State tax law for which a lien may attach pursuant to R.S.54:49-1 or pursuant to the State Uniform Tax Procedure Law, R.S.54:48-1 et seq., or any similar State lien of tax, except to the extent expressly provided by this chapter.
On application made therefor setting forth the same matters and things with reference to the premises to which a transfer of license is sought as are required to be set forth in connection with an original application for license, as to the premises, and after publication of notice of intention to apply for transfer, in the same manner as is required in case of an application for license as to the premises, the director or other issuing authority may transfer, upon payment of a fee of 10% of the annual license fee for the license sought to be transferred, any license issued by him or it respectively to a different place of business than that specified therein, by endorsing permission upon the license.
On application made therefor setting forth the same matters and things with reference to the person to whom a transfer of license is sought as are required to be set forth in connection with an original application for license, which application for transfer shall be signed and sworn to by the person to whom the transfer of license is sought and shall bear the consent in writing of the licensee to the transfer, and after publication of notice of intention by the person to whom the transfer of license is sought, to apply for transfer in the same manner as is required in the case of an original application for license, the director or other issuing authority, as the case may be, may transfer any license issued by him or it respectively to the applicant for transfer by endorsing the license. The application and the applicant shall comply with all requirements of this chapter pertaining to an original application for license and shall be accompanied, in lieu of the license fee required on the original application, by a fee of 10% of the annual license fee for the license sought to be transferred, which 10% shall be retained by the director or other issuing authority, as the case may be, whether the transfer be granted or not, and accounted for as other license fees.
If the other issuing authority shall refuse to grant a transfer the applicant shall be notified forthwith of the refusal by a notice served personally upon the applicant, or sent to him by registered mail addressed to him at the address stated in the application, and the applicant may, within 30 days after the date of service or mailing of the notice, appeal to the director from the action of the issuing authority. If the other issuing authority shall grant a transfer, any taxpayer or other aggrieved person opposing the grant of the transfer may, within 30 days after the grant of the transfer, appeal to the director from the action of the issuing authority.
No person who would fail to qualify as a licensee under this chapter shall be knowingly employed by or connected in any business capacity whatsoever with a licensee. A person failing to qualify as to age or by reason of conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude may, with the approval of the director, and subject to rules and regulations, be employed by any licensee, but the employee if disqualified by age shall not, in any manner whatsoever serve, sell or solicit the sale or participate in the manufacture, rectification, blending, treating, fortification, mixing, processing or bottling of any alcoholic beverage; and further provided, that no permit shall be necessary for the employment in a bona fide hotel or restaurant of any person failing to qualify as to age so long as the person shall not in any manner whatsoever serve, sell or solicit the sale of any alcoholic beverage, or participate in the mixing, processing or preparation thereof. Except for a person convicted of a sex offense as enumerated in subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:7-2 or a person convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude committed while employed on a licensed premises, a person who has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude may be employed by a Class C licensee without obtaining the approval of the director or a rehabilitation employment permit provided the person's responsibilities do not involve serving, selling or soliciting the sale of any alcoholic beverage; participating in the mixing, processing or preparation of alcoholic beverages; providing private security or admission-monitoring services for the premises; or providing or participating in any management or professional services.
Each person seeking to be employed or connected in any business capacity whatsoever with a licensee shall submit to the director the applicant's name, address, fingerprints and written consent for a criminal history record background check to be performed. The director is authorized to receive criminal history record information from the State Bureau of Identification in the Division of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation consistent with applicable State and federal laws, rules and regulations. The applicant shall bear the cost for the criminal history record background check, including all costs of administering and processing the check. The Division of State Police shall promptly notify the director in the event a current holder of a license or prospective applicant, who was the subject of a criminal history record background check pursuant to this section, is arrested for a crime or offense in this State after the date the background check was performed.
Any request for relief under this section shall be accompanied by a nonreturnable filing fee of $100.00 payable to the director.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.32, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under current law, licenses permitting the retail sale of alcoholic beverages are issued for a term of one year beginning on July 1.
This bill permits the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control to extend the term of these licenses beyond one year during a state of emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to Executive Order No. 103 in response to the COVID-19.
