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OLR Bill Analysis
HB 5425
AN ACT CONCERNING HERITAGE RAILWAYS AND ALCOHOLIC
LIQUOR.
SUMMARY
This bill allows heritage railways to sell alcoholic liquor (e.g., beer,
wine, or spirits) for public consumption in any club, parlor, dining,
buffet, or lounge car of a heritage railway passenger train. It does so by
establishing a short-term railway cafe permit and then allowing a
permittee to convert to a cafe permit by deeming it in compliance as a
heritage railway, except the annual fee is $200 instead of $2,000 as for
the railway cafe permit.
Under the bill, a “heritage railway” is any railway service that (1) is
operated primarily for historical preservation and tourism purposes; (2)
has retained or assumed an antiquated appearance or character and
antiquated railway operating practices; and (3) uses antiquated railway
equipment including antiquated locomotives and rolling stock.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2025
SHORT-TERM HERITAGE RAILWAY (§ 2)
The bill establishes a short-term heritage railway cafe permit with
abilities substantially similar to railway cafe permittees. Like for railway
cafes, the short-term heritage railway cafe permittee is subject to all the
privileges, obligations, and penalties under the Liquor Control Act,
except that the permit is issued to a corporation instead of an individual.
Unlike for railways, the permit is only valid for six months and if it is
revoked, the corporation may make another application at any time
after six months from the revocation.
Conversion to Heritage Railway Cafe Permit (§§ 2 & 5)
During the calendar year a short-term heritage railway cafe permit is 2025HB-05425-R000300-BA.DOCX
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issued, the permittee may apply to the Department of Consumer
Protection (DCP), in a DCP-set way, to convert the permit into a heritage
railway cafe permit. The annual permit’s effective date is the date the
short-term heritage railway cafe permit was issued. The new permit fee
is the cafe permit fee amount of $200 minus any fee the applicant paid
for the short-term heritage railway permit.
Allowable Hours (§ 12)
Like other permittees for on-premises consumption, short-term
heritage railway cafe permittees may only sell, dispense, allow people
to consume, or have containers of alcohol during the following hours:
generally from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. the next morning on Monday
through Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the next morning for
Friday and Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. the next morning on
Sunday. Similarly, they may not be open to, or occupied by, the public
outside these times.
Additionally, it is unlawful for the short-term heritage railway cafe
permittee to keep the premises open to the public during the hours of
1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday or when the permit is suspended.
Regardless of any other law in the Liquor Control Act, the short-term
heritage railway cafe permittee may keep the permit premises open to,
or occupied by, the public when it is used as a place for film, television,
video, or digital production that is eligible for the state film production
tax credit. But the permittee is still limited in when he or she may sell,
dispense, or allow the consumption of alcohol to the hours above.
Extension of Cafe Permittee for Railway Abilities, Exemptions,
and Requirements (§§ 3, 4 & 6-11)
The bill also extends to short-term heritage railway cafe permittees
the same provisions that apply to railway cafe permittees under existing
law. This includes provisions:
1. exempting them from a town vote to void liquor permits (§ 3);
2. allowing the permit to be for less than a year and to be granted to 2025HB-05425-R000300-BA.DOCX
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a corporation rather than a person (§ 4);
3. allowing them to store alcoholic liquor on the premises and at
one other secure location registered and approved by DCP (§ 6);
4. exempting them from having to (a) submit certain documents
proving local compliance, (b) post newspaper notices, (c) put
certain notices on the proposed premises, and (d) be subject to a
DCP suitability hearing (§ 7);
5. exempting them from the law requiring DCP to refuse liquor
permits to certain people (e.g., certain law enforcement officials
and minors) (§ 8);
6. allowing backers or permittees of this permit to hold another
permit in another permit class (§ 9);
7. requiring the permittee to file a duplicate of the permit with the
New Haven town clerk before the permit is effective (§ 10); and
8. exempting them from having to frame and hang the permit or a
duplicate in plain view (§ 11).
COMMITTEE ACTION
General Law Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 22 Nay 0 (03/12/2025)