Bill Text - HB575 (2013)

Relative to hours of sales of on-premises liquor licensees.


Revision: March 27, 2013, midnight

HB 575 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

21Mar2013… 0668h

2013 SESSION

13-0297

03/09

HOUSE BILL 575

AN ACT relative to hours of sales of on-premises liquor licensees.

SPONSORS: Rep. Warden, Hills 39; Rep. Jones, Straf 24; Rep. Sandblade, Hills 18

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill allows on-premises liquor licensees to sell beverages or liquor until 2:00 a.m., unless prohibited from selling after 1:00 a.m. by local ordinance.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

21Mar2013… 0668h

13-0297

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen

AN ACT relative to hours of sales of on-premises liquor licensees.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Hours of Sales; On-Premises Liquor Licensees. Amend RSA 179:17, II(b) to read as follows:

(b) On-premises licensees may sell from 6:00 a.m. to [1:00] 2:00 a.m., 7 days a week. If the legislative body of a city or town adopts an ordinance prohibiting sales by on-premises licensees after 1:00 a.m., the licensee shall comply with such ordinance.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2014.

LBAO

13-0297

Amended 03/27/13

HB 575 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to hours of sales of on-premises liquor licensees.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Liquor Commission states this bill, as amended by the House (Amendment #2013-0668h), may increase state expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2014 and each year thereafter. There will be no impact on state, county, and local revenue, or county and local expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

    The Liquor Commission states this bill extends from 1:00 AM to 2:00 AM the time up to which on-premises licensees may sell liquor. The bill states that if the legislative body of a city or town adopts an ordinance prohibiting sales after 1:00 AM, licensees shall comply with the local ordinance. The Commission states that expanding on-premise sales until 2:00 AM will increase the Enforcement Division’s officer workload to an indeterminable extent. The Commission states that initially, the extension to 2:00 AM may result in an increase in overtime for enforcement officers, due to an increase in alcohol-related incidents and traffic accidents. The Commission states that while it is unable to estimate additional overtime costs that may result from the bill, it will adjust shifts for enforcement officers as soon as possible to accommodate the expanded service hours.