BILL NUMBER: AB 525INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ting (Coauthor: Assembly Member Ammiano) (Coauthor: Senator Leno) FEBRUARY 20, 2013 An act to amend Section 23039 of, and to add Section 24045.75 to, the Business and Professions Code, relating to alcoholic beverages. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 525, as introduced, Ting. Alcoholic beverages: licenses: theaters. Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, authorizes the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue a special on-sale general license to any nonprofit theater company, subject to specified requirements. The act provides that a violation of its provisions is a misdemeanor, unless otherwise specified. This bill would permit the department to issue a special on-sale general license to the operator of any for-profit theater, configured with theatrical seating and primarily devoted to live theatrical performances, which would permit sales, service, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the lobbies and seating areas of the theater. The bill would subject this license to limitations regarding the number of licenses that may be issued in a county and would not require the licensee to operate as a bona fide public eating place. The bill would except a theater to be licensed under its provisions from other prohibitions on public premises licenses, as specified. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 23039 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 23039. (a) "Public premises" means: (1) Premises licensed with any type of license other than an on-sale beer license, and maintained and operated for the selling or serving of alcoholic beverages to the public for consumption on the premises, and in which food shall not be sold or served to the public as in a bona fide public eating place, but upon which premises food products may be sold or served incidentally to the sale or service of alcoholic beverages, in accordance with rules prescribed by the department. (2) Premises licensed with an on-sale beer license, in which food shall not be sold or served to the public as in a bona fide public eating place, and in which sandwiches, salads, desserts, and similar short orders shall not be sold and served, in accordance with rules prescribed by the department. (b) "Public premises" does not include railroad dining or club cars, passenger ships, airplanes, or bona fide clubs after the clubs have been lawfully operated for not less than one year; nor does it include historic units of the state park system, premises being operated under a temporary on-sale beer license other than permitted pursuant to Section 24045.5, or on-sale beer licensed stadia, auditoria, fairgrounds, or racetracks; nor does it include nonprofit theater companies licensed pursuant to Section 24045.7; nor does it include theaters licensed pursuant to Section 24045.75; nor does it include winegrowers' premises. SEC. 2. Section 24045.75 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 24045.75. The department may issue a special on-sale general license to the operator of any for-profit theater, configured with theatrical seating and primarily devoted to live theatrical performances. The special on-sale general license shall permit sales, service, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the lobbies and seating areas of the theater. Any special on-sale general license issued pursuant to this section shall be subject to the limitations provided by Section 23816, but shall not be required to be operated as a bona fide public eating place. The theater further shall not be subject to the provisions of Section 23793. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.