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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5425
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 5124
Referred to Committee on GENERAL LAW
Introduced by:
(GL)
AN ACT CONCERNING HERITAGE RAILWAYS AND ALCOHOLIC
LIQUOR.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 30-1 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
For the purposes of this chapter and section 2 of this act, unless the 3
context indicates a different meaning: 4
(1) "Airline" means any (A) United States airline carrier holding a 5
certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Civil 6
Aeronautics Board under Section 401 of the Federal Aviation Act of 7
1958, as amended from time to time, or (B) foreign flag carrier holding a 8
permit under Section 402 of said act. 9
(2) "Alcohol" (A) means the product of distillation of any fermented 10
liquid that is rectified at least once and regardless of such liquid's origin, 11
and (B) includes synthetic ethyl alcohol which is considered nonpotable. 12
(3) "Alcoholic beverage" and "alcoholic liquor" include the four 13 Committee Bill No. 5425
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varieties of liquor defined in subdivisions (2), (5), [(21) and] (22) and (23) 14
of this section (alcohol, beer, spirits and wine) and every liquid or solid, 15
patented or unpatented, containing alcohol, beer, spirits or wine and at 16
least one-half of one per cent alcohol by volume, and capable of being 17
consumed by a human being as a beverage. Any liquid or solid 18
containing more than one of the four varieties so defined belongs to the 19
variety which has the highest percentage of alcohol according to the 20
following order: Alcohol, spirits, wine and beer, except as provided in 21
subdivision [(22)] (23) of this section. 22
(4) "Backer" means, except in cases where the permittee is the 23
proprietor, the proprietor of any business or club, incorporated or 24
unincorporated, that is engaged in manufacturing or selling alcoholic 25
liquor and in which business a permittee is associated, whether as an 26
agent, employee or part owner. 27
(5) "Beer" means any beverage obtained by the alcoholic fermentation 28
of a decoction or infusion of barley, hops and malt in drinking water. 29
(6) "Boat" means any vessel that is (A) operating on any waterway of 30
this state, and (B) engaged in transporting passengers for hire to or from 31
any port of this state. 32
(7) "Business entity" means any incorporated or unincorporated 33
association, corporation, firm, joint stock company, limited liability 34
company, limited liability partnership, partnership, trust or other legal 35
entity. 36
(8) "Case price" means the price of a container made of cardboard, 37
wood or any other material and containing units of the same class and 38
size of alcoholic liquor. A case of alcoholic liquor, other than beer, 39
cocktails, cordials, prepared mixed drinks and wines, shall be in the 40
quantity and number, or fewer, with the permission of the 41
Commissioner of Consumer Protection, of bottles or units as follows: 42
(A) Six one thousand seven hundred fifty milliliter bottles, (B) six one 43
thousand eight hundred milliliter bottles, (C) twelve seven hundred 44
milliliter bottles, (D) twelve seven hundred twenty milliliter bottles, (E) 45 Committee Bill No. 5425
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twelve seven hundred fifty milliliter bottles, (F) twelve nine hundred 46
milliliter bottles, (G) twelve one liter bottles, (H) twenty-four three 47
hundred seventy-five milliliter bottles, (I) forty-eight two hundred 48
milliliter bottles, (J) sixty one hundred milliliter bottles, or (K) one 49
hundred twenty fifty milliliter bottles, except a case of fifty milliliter 50
bottles may be in a quantity and number as originally configured, 51
packaged and sold by the manufacturer or out-of-state shipper prior to 52
shipment if the number of such bottles in such case is not greater than 53
two hundred. The commissioner shall not authorize fewer quantities or 54
numbers of bottles or units as specified in this subdivision for any one 55
person or entity more than eight times in any calendar year. For the 56
purposes of this subdivision, "class" has the same meaning as provided 57
in 27 CFR 4.21 for wine, 27 CFR 5.22 for spirits and 27 CFR 7.24 for beer. 58
(9) "Club" has the same meaning as provided in section 30-22aa. 59
(10) "Coliseum" has the same meaning as provided in section 30-33a. 60
(11) "Commission" means the Liquor Control Commission 61
established under this chapter. 62
(12) "Department" means the Department of Consumer Protection. 63
(13) "Dining room" means any room or rooms (A) located in premises 64
operating under (i) a hotel permit issued under section 30-21, (ii) a 65
restaurant permit issued under subsection (a) of section 30-22, (iii) a 66
restaurant permit for wine and beer issued under subsection (b) of 67
section 30-22, (iv) a cafe permit issued under section 30-22a, as amended 68
by this act, or (v) a cafe permit for wine, beer and cider issued under 69
section 30-22g, and (B) where meals are customarily served to any 70
member of the public who has means of payment and a proper 71
demeanor. 72
(14) "Heritage railway" means any railway service that (A) is operated 73
primarily for the purposes of historical preservation and tourism, (B) 74
has either retained or assumed (i) an antiquated appearance or 75
character, and (ii) antiquated railway operating practices, and (C) 76 Committee Bill No. 5425
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utilizes antiquated railway equipment, including, but not limited to, 77
antiquated locomotives and rolling stock. 78
[(14)] (15) "Mead" means fermented honey (A) with or without 79
additions or adjunct ingredients, and (B) regardless of (i) alcohol 80
content, (ii) process, and (iii) whether such honey is carbonated, 81
sparkling or still. 82
[(15)] (16) "Minor" means any person who is younger than twenty-83
one years of age. 84
[(16)] (17) "Noncommercial entity" means an academic institution, 85
charitable organization, government organization, nonprofit 86
organization or similar entity that is not primarily dedicated to 87
obtaining a commercial advantage or monetary compensation. 88
[(17)] (18) "Nonprofit club" has the same meaning as provided in 89
section 30-22aa. 90
[(18)] (19) (A) "Person" means an individual, including, but not 91
limited to, a partner. 92
(B) "Person" does not include any business entity. 93
[(19)] (20) (A) "Proprietor" includes all owners of a business or club, 94
incorporated or unincorporated, that is engaged in manufacturing or 95
selling alcoholic liquor, whether such owners are persons, fiduciaries, 96
business entities, stockholders of corporations or otherwise. 97
(B) "Proprietor" does not include any person who, or business entity 98
that, is merely a creditor, whether as a bond holder, franchisor, landlord 99
or note holder, of a business or club, incorporated or unincorporated, 100
that is engaged in manufacturing or selling alcoholic liquor. 101
[(20)] (21) "Restaurant" has the same meaning as provided in section 102
30-22. 103
[(21)] (22) "Spirits" means any beverage that contains alcohol 104 Committee Bill No. 5425
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obtained by distillation mixed with drinkable water and other 105
substances in solution, including brandy, rum, whiskey and gin. 106
[(22)] (23) "Wine" means any alcoholic beverage obtained by 107
fermenting the natural sugar content of fruits, such as apples, grapes or 108
other agricultural products, containing such sugar, including fortified 109
wines such as port, sherry and champagne. 110
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) A short-term heritage railway 111
cafe permit shall allow the sale and public consumption of alcoholic 112
liquor in any club, parlor, dining, buffet or lounge car of a passenger 113
train operated by a heritage railway in this state in the manner set forth 114
for a cafe permit issued under subsection (h) of section 30-22a of the 115
general statutes, as amended by this act. A short-term heritage railway 116
cafe permit shall be subject to all of the privileges, obligations and 117
penalties provided for in chapter 545 of the general statutes, except such 118
permit shall be issued to a corporation instead of a person, shall be valid 119
for a period of six months and, if such permit is revoked, another 120
application may be made by the corporation for the issuance of another 121
such permit at any time after the expiration of six months following such 122
revocation. The fee for a short-term heritage railway cafe permit shall be 123
one hundred dollars. During the calendar year in which a short-term 124
heritage railway cafe permit is issued to a permittee pursuant to this 125
section, the permittee may apply to the Department of Consumer 126
Protection, in a form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner of 127
Consumer Protection, to convert the short-term heritage railway cafe 128
permit into an annual cafe permit issued under subsection (h) of section 129
30-22a of the general statutes, as amended by this act. The effective date 130
of such annual cafe permit shall be the effective date of the short-term 131
heritage railway cafe permit issued under this section. The fee for such 132
cafe permit shall be the fee established in subsection (a) of section 30-133
22a of the general statutes, as amended by this act, for a heritage railway 134
less the fee the applicant paid for the short-term heritage railway cafe 135
permit issued under this section. 136
Sec. 3. Section 30-12 of the general statutes is repealed and the 137 Committee Bill No. 5425
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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 138
When any town has so voted upon the question of liquor permits, any 139
liquor permit granted in such town which is not in accordance with such 140
vote shall be void except manufacturer permits, [and] cafe permits 141
issued under subsections (g) and (h) of section 30-22a, as amended by 142
this act, and short-term heritage railway cafe permits issued under 143
section 2 of this act. 144
Sec. 4. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 30-14 of the general statutes 145
are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 146
1, 2025): 147
(a) Each permit shall be a purely personal privilege that is revocable 148
in the discretion of the Department of Consumer Protection, and subject 149
to appeal, as provided in section 30-55. Except as otherwise provided in 150
the general statutes, including, but not limited to, sections 30-35, 30-37g 151
and 30-37u and section 2 of this act, each permit shall expire annually. 152
No permit shall constitute property, be subject to attachment and 153
execution or be alienable, except a permit shall descend to the estate of 154
a deceased permittee by the laws of testate or intestate succession. An 155
airline permit issued under section 30-28a, [or] a cafe permit issued 156
under subsection (h) of section 30-22a, as amended by this act, or a short-157
term heritage railway cafe permit issued under section 2 of this act shall 158
be granted to the airline corporation, [or] railway corporation or 159
heritage railway corporation and not to any person, and the corporation 160
shall be the permittee. 161
(b) Any permit in this part, except a permit issued under sections 30-162
35, 30-37g and 30-37u and section 2 of this act, may be issued for a 163
continuous period of not more than six consecutive calendar months, at 164
two-thirds of regular fees, but rebate of fees shall not be permitted for 165
any unexpired portion of the term of a permit revoked by reason of a 166
violation of any provision of this chapter. 167
Sec. 5. Subsections (a) to (h), inclusive, of section 30-22a of the general 168
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 169 Committee Bill No. 5425
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(Effective July 1, 2025): 170
(a) A cafe permit shall allow the retail sale of alcoholic liquor to be 171
consumed on the premises of a cafe. The holder of a cafe permit shall 172
keep food available for sale to its customers for consumption on the 173
premises during the majority of the hours such premises are open. The 174
availability of food from outside vendors located on or near the 175
premises, who may directly deliver such food or indirectly deliver such 176
food through a third party, shall be deemed to constitute compliance 177
with such requirement. The licensed premises shall at all times comply 178
with all the regulations of the local department of health. Nothing herein 179
shall be construed to require that any food be sold or purchased with 180
any alcoholic liquor, nor shall any rule, regulation or standard be 181
promulgated or enforced to require that sales of food be substantial or 182
that the business's receipts from sales of alcoholic liquor equal any set 183
percentage of total receipts from all sales made on the licensed premises. 184
A cafe permit shall allow, with the prior approval of the Department of 185
Consumer Protection, alcoholic liquor to be served at tables in outside 186
areas that are screened or not screened from public view where 187
permitted by fire, zoning and health regulations. If not required by fire, 188
zoning or health regulations, a fence or wall enclosing such outside 189
areas shall not be required by the Department of Consumer Protection. 190
No fence or wall used to enclose such outside areas shall be less than 191
thirty inches high. Such permit shall also authorize the sale at retail from 192
the premises of sealed containers, supplied by the permittee, of draught 193
beer for consumption off the premises. Such sales shall be conducted 194
only during the hours a package store is permitted to sell alcoholic 195
liquor under the provisions of subsection (d) of section 30-91, as 196
amended by this act. Not more than four liters of such beer shall be sold 197
to any person on any day on which the sale of alcoholic liquor is 198
authorized under the provisions of subsection (d) of section 30-91, as 199
amended by this act. The annual fee for a cafe permit shall be two 200
thousand dollars, except the annual fee for a cafe permit for (1) a prior 201
holder of a tavern permit issued under section 30-26 shall be eight 202
hundred dollars for the first year, twelve hundred dollars for the second 203 Committee Bill No. 5425
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year, one thousand six hundred dollars for the third year and two 204
thousand dollars for each year thereafter, and (2) a heritage railway shall 205
be two hundred dollars. 206
(b) (1) A cafe patron may remove one unsealed bottle of wine for off-207
premises consumption, provided the patron has purchased a full course 208
meal and consumed a portion of the wine with such meal on the cafe 209
premises. For purposes of this section, "full course meal" means a 210
diversified selection of food which (A) ordinarily cannot be consumed 211
without the use of tableware, and (B) cannot be conveniently consumed 212
while standing or walking. 213
(2) A partially consumed bottle of wine that is to be removed from 214
the premises under this subsection shall be securely sealed and placed 215
in a bag by the permittee or the permittee's agent or employee prior to 216
removal from the premises. 217
(c) As used in this section, "cafe" means space in a suitable and 218
permanent building, vessel or structure, kept, used, maintained, 219
advertised and held out to the public to be a place where alcoholic liquor 220
and food is served for sale at retail for consumption on the premises but 221
which does not necessarily serve hot meals; [it] such premises shall have 222
no sleeping accommodations for the public and need not necessarily 223
have a kitchen or dining room but shall have employed therein at all 224
times an adequate number of employees. 225
(d) For purposes of compliance with this section, "cafe" includes any 226
location in a passenger terminal complex of any airport, as defined in 227
section 15-34, or any location adjacent to and attached by common 228
partition to such complex, which is open to the public or to airline club 229
members or their guests, with or without the sale of food, for 230
consumption on the premises. 231
(e) For purposes of compliance with this section, "cafe" includes all of 232
the land and buildings in which the principal business conducted is 233
racing or jai alai exhibitions, with pari-mutuel betting licensed by the 234
Department of Consumer Protection. 235 Committee Bill No. 5425
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(f) For purposes of compliance with this section, "cafe" includes any 236
commercial bowling establishment containing ten or more lanes, or any 237
commercial racquetball or tennis facility containing five or more courts, 238
with or without food, for consumption on the premises. 239
(g) For purposes of compliance with this section, "cafe" includes the 240
premises and grounds of a golf country club, defined as: (1) An 241
association of persons, whether incorporated or unincorporated, that 242
has been in existence as a bona fide organization for at least one year 243
prior to applying for a permit issued as provided by this chapter, or that 244
at the time of applying for the permit is in existence as a bona fide 245
organization and has not less than twenty members who have paid 246
annual membership fees or dues and have signed affidavits of their 247
intention to remain members of the association for not less than one year 248
after that time, not including associations organized for any commercial 249
or business purpose the object of which is money profit, which 250
maintains a golf course of not less than eighteen holes and a course 251
length of at least fifty-five hundred yards and a club house with facilities 252
that include locker rooms, a dining room and a lounge; provided the 253
club shall file with the department, upon request, within ten days of 254
February first in each year, a list of the names and residences of its 255
members, and shall similarly file, within ten days of the election of any 256
additional member, his name and address, and provided its aggregate 257
annual membership fees or dues and other income, exclusive of any 258
proceeds of the sale of alcoholic liquor, shall be sufficient to defray the 259
annual rental of its leased or rented premises, or, if the premises are 260
owned by the club, shall be sufficient to meet the taxes, insurance and 261
repairs and the interest on any mortgage thereof; and provided, further, 262
its affairs and management shall be conducted by a board of directors, 263
executive committee or similar body chosen by the members at their 264
annual meeting, and no member or any officer, agent or employee of the 265
club shall be paid or, directly or indirectly, shall receive in the form of 266
salary or other compensation any profits from the disposition or sale of 267
alcoholic liquor to the club or to the members of the club or its guests 268
introduced by members, beyond the amount of such salary as may be 269 Committee Bill No. 5425
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fixed and voted at annual meetings by the members or by its directors 270
or other governing body and as reported by the club to the department, 271
within three months after the annual meeting, and as is, in the judgment 272
of the department, reasonable and proper compensation for the services 273
of such member, officer, agent or employee; or (2) an association of 274
persons, whether incorporated or unincorporated, which has been in 275
existence as a bona fide organization for at least one year prior to 276
applying for a permit issued as provided by this chapter, or which at the 277
time of applying for the permit is in existence as a bona fide organization 278
and has not less than twenty members who have paid annual 279
membership fees or dues and is directly or indirectly wholly owned by 280
a corporation which is and continues to be nonprofit and to which the 281
Internal Revenue Service has issued a ruling classifying it as an exempt 282
organization under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 283
or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United 284
States, as amended from time to time, which maintains a golf course of 285
not less than eighteen holes and a course length of at least fifty-five 286
hundred yards and a club house with facilities which include locker 287
rooms, a dining room and a lounge; provided the club shall file with the 288
department, upon request, within ten days of February first in each year, 289
a list of the names and residences of its members, and shall similarly file, 290
within ten days of the admission of any additional member, his name 291
and address. The nonprofit corporation shall demonstrate to the 292
commission an ability to pay any operating deficit of the golf country 293
club, exclusive of any proceeds of the sale of alcoholic liquor; and 294
provided, further, the affairs and the management of the nonprofit 295
corporation are conducted by a board of directors, executive committee 296
or similar body at least forty per cent of the members of which are 297
chosen by the members of the nonprofit corporation at their annual 298
meeting and the balance of the members of the board of directors are 299
professionals chosen for their knowledge of the business of the 300
nonprofit corporation, and all moneys earned by the golf country club 301
shall be used to defray its expenses of operation or for charitable 302
purposes, and any balance shall be directly or indirectly remitted to the 303
nonprofit corporation. 304 Committee Bill No. 5425
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(h) For purposes of compliance with this section, "cafe" includes any 305
corporation that operates a railway or heritage railway in this state or 306
that operates club, parlor, dining, buffet or lounge cars upon the lines of 307
any such railway or heritage railway in this state. [It] The permit shall 308
allow the sale and public consumption of alcoholic liquor in any club, 309
parlor, dining, buffet or lounge car of a passenger train operated in this 310
state. [It] The permit shall be subject to all the privileges, obligations and 311
penalties provided for in this chapter except [that it] such permit shall 312
be issued to a corporation instead of to a person and, if [it] such permit 313
is revoked, another application may be made by the corporation for the 314
issuance of another [railroad] permit at any time after the expiration of 315
one year after such revocation. 316
Sec. 6. Section 30-38 of the general statutes is repealed and the 317
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 318
Each permit granted under the provisions of sections 30-16, 30-17, 30-319
20, 30-21, 30-21b, 30-22, 30-22a, as amended by this act, 30-22g, 30-22aa, 320
30-28a, 30-33a [,] and 30-36 [,] and section 2 of this act shall also, under 321
the regulations of the Department of Consumer Protection, allow the 322
storage, on the premises and at one other secure location registered with 323
and approved by the department, of sufficient quantities of alcoholic 324
liquor respectively allowed to be sold under such permits as may be 325
necessary for the business conducted by the respective permittees or 326
their backers; but no such permit shall be granted under the provisions 327
of section 30-16 or 30-17 unless such storage facilities are provided and 328
the place of storage receives the approval of the department as to 329
suitability, and thereafter no place of storage shall be changed nor any 330
new place of storage utilized without the approval of the department. 331
Sec. 7. Subsection (b) of section 30-39 of the general statutes is 332
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 333
2025): 334
(b) (1) Any person desiring a liquor permit or a renewal of such a 335
permit shall make an affirmed application therefor to the Department of 336 Committee Bill No. 5425
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Consumer Protection, upon forms to be furnished by the department, 337
showing the name and address of the applicant and of the applicant's 338
backer, if any, the location of the club or place of business which is to be 339
operated under such permit and a financial statement setting forth all 340
elements and details of any business transactions connected with the 341
application. Such application shall include a detailed description of the 342
type of live entertainment that is to be provided. A club or place of 343
business shall be exempt from providing such detailed description if the 344
club or place of business (A) was issued a liquor permit prior to October 345
1, 1993, and (B) has not altered the type of entertainment provided. The 346
application shall also indicate any crimes of which the applicant or the 347
applicant's backer may have been convicted. Applicants shall submit 348
documents, only upon initial application, sufficient to establish that 349
state and local building, fire and zoning requirements and local 350
ordinances concerning hours and days of sale will be met, except that 351
local building and zoning requirements and local ordinances 352
concerning hours and days of sale shall not apply to a cafe permit issued 353
under subsection (d) or (h) of section 30-22a, as amended by this act, or 354
a short-term heritage railway cafe permit issued under section 2 of this 355
act. The State Fire Marshal or the marshal's certified designee shall be 356
responsible for approving compliance with the State Fire Code at 357
Bradley International Airport. Any person desiring a permit provided 358
for in section 30-33b shall file a copy of such person's license with such 359
application if such license was issued by the Department of Consumer 360
Protection. The department may, at its discretion, conduct an 361
investigation to determine (i) whether a permit shall be issued to an 362
applicant or the applicant's backer, or (ii) the suitability of the proposed 363
permit premises. Completion of an inspection pursuant to subsection (f) 364
of section 29-305 shall not be deemed to constitute a precondition to 365
renewal of a permit that is subject to subsection (f) of section 29-305. 366
(2) The applicant shall pay to the department a nonrefundable 367
application fee, which fee shall be in addition to the fees prescribed in 368
this chapter for the permit sought. An application fee shall not be 369
charged for an application to renew a permit. The application fee shall 370 Committee Bill No. 5425
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be in the amount of ten dollars for the filing of each application for a 371
permit by a nonprofit golf tournament permit under section 30-37g or a 372
temporary liquor permit for a noncommercial entity under section 30-373
35; and in the amount of one hundred dollars for the filing of an initial 374
application for all other permits. Any permit issued shall be valid only 375
for the purposes and activities described in the application. 376
(3) The applicant, immediately after filing an application, shall give 377
notice thereof, with the name and residence of the permittee, the type of 378
permit applied for and the location of the place of business for which 379
such permit is to be issued and the type of live entertainment to be 380
provided, all in a form prescribed by the department, by publishing the 381
same in a newspaper having a circulation in the town in which the place 382
of business to be operated under such permit is to be located, at least 383
once a week for two successive weeks, the first publication to be not 384
more than seven days after the filing date of the application and the last 385
publication not more than fourteen days after the filing date of the 386
application. The applicant shall affix, and maintain in a legible condition 387
upon the outer door of the building wherein such place of business is to 388
be located and clearly visible from the public highway, the placard 389
provided by the department, not later than the day following the receipt 390
of the placard by the applicant. If such outer door of such premises is so 391
far from the public highway that such placard is not clearly visible as 392
provided, the department shall direct a suitable method to notify the 393
public of such application. When an application is filed for any type of 394
permit for a building that has not been constructed, such applicant shall 395
erect and maintain in a legible condition a sign not less than six feet by 396
four feet upon the site where such place of business is to be located, 397
instead of such placard upon the outer door of the building. The sign 398
shall set forth the type of permit applied for and the name of the 399
proposed permittee, shall be clearly visible from the public highway and 400
shall be so erected not later than the day following the receipt of the 401
placard. Such applicant shall make a return to the department, under 402
oath, of compliance with the foregoing requirements, in such form as 403
the department may determine, but the department may require any 404 Committee Bill No. 5425
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additional proof of such compliance. Upon receipt of evidence of such 405
compliance, the department may hold a hearing as to the suitability of 406
the proposed location. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply 407
to applications for (A) airline permits issued under section 30-28a, (B) 408
temporary liquor permits for noncommercial entities issued under 409
section 30-35, (C) concession permits issued under section 30-33, (D) 410
military permits issued under section 30-34, (E) cafe permits issued 411
under subsection (h) of section 30-22a, as amended by this act, (F) short-412
term heritage railway cafe permits issued under section 2 of this act, (G) 413
warehouse permits issued under section 30-32, [(G)] (H) broker's 414
permits issued under section 30-30, [(H)] (I) out-of-state shipper's 415
permits for alcoholic liquor issued under section 30-18, [(I)] (J) out-of-416
state shipper's permits for beer issued under section 30-19, [(J)] (K) 417
coliseum permits issued under section 30-33a, [(K)] (L) nonprofit golf 418
tournament permits issued under section 30-37g, [(L)] (M) Connecticut 419
craft cafe permits issued under section 30-22d to permittees who held a 420
manufacturer permit for a brew pub or a manufacturer permit for beer 421
issued under subsection (b) of section 30-16 and a brew pub before July 422
1, 2020, [(M)] (N) off-site farm winery sales and wine, cider and mead 423
tasting permits issued under section 30-16a, [(N)] (O) out-of-state 424
retailer shipper's permits for wine issued under section 30-18a, [(O)] (P) 425
out-of-state winery shipper's permits for wine issued under section 30-426
18a, [(P)] (Q) in-state transporter's permits for alcoholic liquor issued 427
under section 30-19f, including, but not limited to, boats operating 428
under such permits, [(Q)] (R) seasonal outdoor open-air permits issued 429
under section 30-22e, [(R)] (S) festival permits issued under section 30-430
37t, [(S)] (T) temporary auction permits issued under section 30-37u, 431
[(T)] (U) outdoor open-air permits issued under section 30-22f, and [(U)] 432
(V) renewals of any permit described in subparagraphs (A) to [(T)] (U), 433
inclusive, of this subdivision, if applicable. The provisions of this 434
subdivision regarding publication and placard display shall also be 435
required of any applicant who seeks to amend the type of entertainment 436
either upon filing of a renewal application or upon requesting 437
permission of the department in a form that requires the approval of the 438
municipal zoning official. 439 Committee Bill No. 5425
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(4) In any case in which a permit has been issued to a partnership, if 440
one or more of the partners dies or retires, the remaining partner or 441
partners need not file a new application for the unexpired portion of the 442
current permit, and no additional fee for such unexpired portion shall 443
be required. Notice of any such change shall be given to the department 444
and the permit shall be endorsed to show correct ownership. When any 445
partnership changes by reason of the addition of one or more persons, a 446
new application with new fees shall be required. 447
Sec. 8. Section 30-45 of the general statutes is repealed and the 448
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 449
The Department of Consumer Protection shall refuse permits for the 450
sale of alcoholic liquor to the following persons: (1) Any state marshal, 451
judicial marshal, judge of any court, prosecuting officer or member of 452
any police force; (2) any minor; (3) any constable who (A) performs 453
criminal law enforcement duties and is considered a peace officer by 454
town ordinance pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of section 455
54-1f, or (B) is certified under the provisions of sections 7-294a to 7-294e, 456
inclusive, and performs criminal law enforcement duties pursuant to 457
the provisions of subsection (c) of section 54-1f; and (4) any special 458
constable appointed pursuant to section 7-92. This section shall not 459
apply to any out-of-state shipper's permit issued under section 30-18, 460
30-18a or 30-19, any cafe permit issued under section 30-22a, as 461
amended by this act, any cafe permit for wine, beer and cider issued 462
under section 30-22g, any boat operating under any in -state 463
transporter's permit issued under section 30-19f, [or] any airline permit 464
issued under section 30-28a or any short-term heritage railway cafe 465
permit issued under section 2 of this act. As used in this section, "minor" 466
means a minor, as defined in section 1-1d or as defined in section 30-1, 467
as amended by this act, whichever age is older. 468
Sec. 9. Subsection (a) of section 30-48 of the general statutes is 469
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 470
2025): 471 Committee Bill No. 5425
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(a) No backer or permittee of one permit class shall be a backer or 472
permittee of any other permit class except in the case of airline permits 473
issued under section 30-28a, boats operating under in-state transporter's 474
permits issued under section 30-19f, [and] cafe permits issued under 475
subsections (d) and (h) of section 30-22a, as amended by this act, and 476
short-term heritage railway cafe permits issued under section 2 of this 477
act, except that: (1) A backer of a hotel permit issued under section 30-478
21 or a restaurant permit issued under section 30-22 may be a backer of 479
both such classes; (2) a holder or backer of a restaurant permit issued 480
under section 30-22, a cafe permit issued under subsection (a) of section 481
30-22a, as amended by this act, or a cafe permit for wine, beer and cider 482
issued under section 30-22g may be a holder or backer of any other or 483
all of such classes; (3) a holder or backer of a restaurant permit issued 484
under section 30-22 may be a holder or backer of a cafe permit issued 485
under subsection (f) of section 30-22a, as amended by this act; (4) a 486
backer of a restaurant permit issued under section 30-22 may be a backer 487
of a coliseum permit issued under section 30-33a when such restaurant 488
is within a coliseum; (5) a backer of a hotel permit issued under section 489
30-21 may be a backer of a coliseum permit issued under section 30-33a; 490
(6) a backer of a grocery store beer permit issued under subsection (c) of 491
section 30-20 may be (A) a backer of a package store permit issued under 492
subsection (b) of section 30-20 if such was the case on or before May 1, 493
1996, and (B) a backer of a restaurant permit issued under section 30-22, 494
provided the restaurant permit premises do not abut or share the same 495
space as the grocery store beer permit premises; (7) a backer of a cafe 496
permit issued under subsection (j) of section 30-22a, may be a backer of 497
a nonprofit theater permit issued under section 30-35a; (8) a backer of a 498
nonprofit theater permit issued under section 30-35a may be a holder or 499
backer of a hotel permit issued under section 30-21 or a coliseum permit 500
issued under section 30-33a; (9) a backer of a concession permit issued 501
under section 30-33 may be a backer of a coliseum permit issued under 502
section 30-33a; (10) a holder of an out-of-state winery shipper's permit 503
for wine issued under section 30-18a may be a holder of an in-state 504
transporter's permit issued under section 30-19f; (11) a holder of an out-505
of-state shipper's permit for alcoholic liquor issued under section 30-18 506 Committee Bill No. 5425
LCO 5124 17 of 22
or an out-of-state winery shipper's permit for wine issued under section 507
30-18a may be a holder of an in-state transporter's permit issued under 508
section 30-19f; (12) a holder of a manufacturer permit for a farm winery 509
issued under subsection (c) of section 30-16 or a manufacturer permit 510
for wine, cider and mead issued under subsection (d) of section 30-16 511
may be a holder of an in-state transporter's permit issued under section 512
30-19f, an off-site farm winery sales and tasting permit issued under 513
section 30-16a or any combination of such permits; (13) the holder of a 514
manufacturer permit for spirits, beer, a farm winery or wine, cider and 515
mead, issued under subsection (a), (b), (c) or (d), respectively, of section 516
30-16 may be a holder of a Connecticut craft cafe permit issued under 517
section 30-22d, a restaurant permit or a restaurant permit for wine and 518
beer issued under section 30-22 or a farmers' market sales permit issued 519
under section 30-37o; (14) the holder of a restaurant permit issued under 520
section 30-22, a cafe permit issued under section 30-22a, as amended by 521
this act, a cafe permit for wine, beer and cider issued under section 30-522
22g or an in-state transporter's permit issued under section 30-19f may 523
be the holder of a seasonal outdoor open-air permit issued under section 524
30-22e or an outdoor open-air permit issued under section 30-22f; (15) 525
the holder of a festival permit issued under section 30-37t may be the 526
holder or backer of one or more of such other classes; (16) the holder of 527
an out-of-state shipper's permit for alcoholic liquor other than beer 528
issued under section 30-18, an out-of-state winery shipper's permit for 529
wine issued under section 30-18a or an out-of-state shipper's permit for 530
beer issued under section 30-19 may be the holder of an out-of-state 531
retailer shipper's permit for wine issued under section 30-18a; and (17) 532
the holder of a restaurant permit issued under section 30-22 may be a 533
holder of a Connecticut craft cafe permit issued under section 30-22d, 534
provided the permit premises are located at two different addresses. 535
Any person may be a permittee of more than one permit. No holder of 536
a manufacturer permit for beer issued under subsection (b) of section 537
30-16 and no spouse or child of such holder may be a holder or backer 538
of more than three restaurant permits issued under section 30-22, cafe 539
permits issued under section 30-22a, as amended by this act, or cafe 540
permits for wine, beer and cider issued under section 30-22g. 541 Committee Bill No. 5425
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Sec. 10. Section 30-53 of the general statutes is repealed and the 542
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 543
Each permit granted or renewed by the Department of Consumer 544
Protection shall be of no effect until a duplicate thereof has been filed by 545
the permittee with the town clerk of the town within which the club or 546
place of business described in such permit is situated; provided the 547
place of filing for (1) a cafe permit issued under subsection (h) of section 548
30-22a, as amended by this act, a short-term heritage railway cafe permit 549
issued under section 2 of this act or a boat operating under an in-state 550
transporter's permit issued under section 30-19f, shall be the office of the 551
town clerk of the town of New Haven, and (2) an airline permit issued 552
under section 30-28a shall be the office of the town clerk of the town of 553
Hartford. The fee for such filing shall be twenty dollars. 554
Sec. 11. Section 30-54 of the general statutes is repealed and the 555
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 556
Every permittee, other than a corporation holding a cafe permit 557
issued under subsection (h) of section 30-22a, as amended by this act, a 558
short-term heritage railway cafe permit issued under section 2 of this act 559
or an airline permit issued under section 30-28a, shall cause such 560
permittee's permit or a duplicate thereof to be framed and hung in plain 561
view in a conspicuous place in any room where the sales so permitted 562
are to be carried on. 563
Sec. 12. Subsections (a) to (e), inclusive, of section 30-91 of the general 564
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 565
(Effective July 1, 2025): 566
(a) The sale, dispensing, consumption or presence in glasses or other 567
receptacles suitable to allow for the consumption of alcoholic liquor by 568
an individual in places operating under hotel permits issued under 569
section 30-21, restaurant permits issued under section 30-22, cafe 570
permits issued under section 30-22a, as amended by this act, cafe 571
permits for wine, beer and cider issued under section 30-22g, short-term 572
heritage railway cafe permits issued under section 2 of this act, 573 Committee Bill No. 5425
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Connecticut craft cafe permits issued under section 30-22d, club permits 574
issued under section 30-22aa, restaurant permits for catering 575
establishments issued under section 30-22b, coliseum permits issued 576
under section 30-33a, temporary liquor permits for noncommercial 577
entities issued under section 30-35, nonprofit public museum permits 578
issued under section 30-37a, manufacturer permits for beer, a farm 579
winery or wine, cider and mead issued under subsection (b), (c) or (d), 580
respectively, of section 30-16, casino permits issued under section 30-581
37k and caterer liquor permits issued under section 30-37j shall be 582
unlawful on: (1) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 583
between the hours of one o'clock a.m. and nine o'clock a.m.; (2) Saturday 584
between the hours of two o'clock a.m. and nine o'clock a.m.; (3) Sunday 585
between the hours of two o'clock a.m. and ten o'clock a.m.; (4) 586
Christmas, except (A) for alcoholic liquor that is served where food is 587
also available during the hours otherwise permitted by this section for 588
the day on which Christmas falls, and (B) by casino permittees at 589
casinos, as defined in section 30-37k; and (5) January first between the 590
hours of three o'clock a.m. and nine o'clock a.m., except that on any 591
Sunday that is January first the prohibitions of this section shall be 592
between the hours of three o'clock a.m. and ten o'clock a.m. 593
(b) Any town may, by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, reduce 594
the number of hours during which sales under subsection (a) of this 595
section, except sales under a cafe permit issued under subsection (d) of 596
section 30-22a, as amended by this act, shall be permissible. In all cases 597
when a town, either by vote of a town meeting or by ordinance, has 598
acted on the sale of alcoholic liquor or the reduction of the number of 599
hours when such sale is permissible, such action shall become effective 600
on the first day of the month succeeding such action and no further 601
action shall be taken until at least one year has elapsed since the 602
previous action was taken. 603
(c) Notwithstanding any provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this 604
section, such sale, dispensing, consumption or presence in glasses in 605
places operating under a cafe permit issued under subsection (f) of 606
section 30-22a, as amended by this act, shall be unlawful before eleven 607 Committee Bill No. 5425
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o'clock a.m. on any day, except in that portion of the permit premises 608
which is located in a separate room or rooms entry to which, from the 609
bowling lane area of the establishment, is by means of a door or doors 610
which shall remain closed at all times except to permit entrance and 611
egress to and from the lane area. Any alcoholic liquor sold or dispensed 612
in a place operating under a cafe permit issued under subsection (f) of 613
section 30-22a, as amended by this act, shall be served in containers such 614
as, but not limited to, plastic or glass. Any town may, by vote of a town 615
meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which 616
sales under this subsection shall be permissible. 617
(d) The sale or dispensing of alcoholic liquor for off-premises 618
consumption in places operating under package store permits issued 619
under subsection (b) of section 30-20, druggist permits issued under 620
section 30-36, manufacturer permits issued under section 30-16, grocery 621
store beer permits issued under subsection (c) of section 30-20, religious 622
wine retailer permits issued under section 30-37s or temporary auction 623
permits issued under section 30-37u shall be unlawful on Thanksgiving 624
Day, New Year's Day and Christmas; and such sale or dispensing of 625
alcoholic liquor for off-premises consumption in places operating under 626
package store permits, druggist permits, manufacturer permits for beer, 627
grocery store beer permits, religious wine retailer permits and 628
temporary auction permits shall be unlawful on Sunday before ten 629
o'clock a.m. and after six o'clock p.m. and on any other day before eight 630
o'clock a.m. and after ten o'clock p.m. Any town may, by a vote of a town 631
meeting or by ordinance, reduce the number of hours during which 632
such sale shall be permissible. 633
(e) (1) In the case of any premises operating under a cafe permit 634
issued under subsection (c) of section 30-22a, as amended by this act, a 635
cafe permit for wine, beer and cider issued under section 30-22g or a 636
Connecticut craft cafe permit issued under section 30-22d, and wherein, 637
under the provisions of this section, the sale of alcoholic liquor is 638
forbidden on certain days or hours of the day, or during the period 639
when such permit is suspended, it shall likewise be unlawful to keep 640
such premises open to, or permit such premises to be occupied by, the 641 Committee Bill No. 5425
LCO 5124 21 of 22
public on such days or hours. 642
(2) In the case of any premises operating under a cafe permit issued 643
under section 30-22a, as amended by this act, [or] a cafe permit for wine, 644
beer and cider issued under section 30-22g or a short-term heritage 645
railway cafe permit issued under section 2 of this act, it shall be unlawful 646
to keep such premises open to, or permit such premises to be occupied 647
by, the public between the hours of one o'clock a.m. and six o'clock a.m. 648
on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and between 649
the hours of two o'clock a.m. and six o'clock a.m. on Saturday and 650
Sunday or during any period of time when such permit is suspended, 651
provided the sale, dispensing or consumption of alcohol on such 652
premises operating under such cafe permit or cafe permit for wine, beer 653
and cider shall be prohibited beyond the hours authorized for the sale, 654
dispensing or consumption of alcohol for such premises under this 655
section. 656
(3) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, in the case of any 657
premises operating under a cafe permit issued under section 30-22a, as 658
amended by this act, [or] a cafe permit for wine, beer and cider issued 659
under section 30-22g or a short-term heritage railway cafe permit issued 660
under section 2 of this act, it shall be lawful for such premises to be open 661
to, or be occupied by, the public when such premises is being used as a 662
site for film, television, video or digital production eligible for a film 663
production tax credit pursuant to section 12-217jj, provided the sale, 664
dispensing or consumption of alcohol on such premises operating under 665
such cafe permit or cafe permit for wine, beer and cider shall be 666
prohibited beyond the hours authorized for the sale, dispensing or 667
consumption of alcohol for such premises under this section. 668
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 30-1
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 30-12
Sec. 4 July 1, 2025 30-14(a) and (b) Committee Bill No. 5425
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Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 30-22a(a) to (h)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2025 30-38
Sec. 7 July 1, 2025 30-39(b)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2025 30-45
Sec. 9 July 1, 2025 30-48(a)
Sec. 10 July 1, 2025 30-53
Sec. 11 July 1, 2025 30-54
Sec. 12 July 1, 2025 30-91(a) to (e)
GL Joint Favorable