BILL REQ. #:  S-4057.1 



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SENATE BILL 6584
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State of Washington58th Legislature2004 Regular Session

By Senators Hewitt, McAuliffe, Honeyford and Eide

Read first time 01/26/2004.   Referred to Committee on Commerce & Trade.



     AN ACT Relating to liquor licensees holding a caterer's endorsement; amending RCW 66.28.010 and 66.24.420; and reenacting and amending RCW 66.24.320.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 66.28.010 and 2002 c 109 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) No manufacturer, importer, or distributor, or person financially interested, directly or indirectly, in such business; whether resident or nonresident, shall have any financial interest, direct or indirect, in any licensed retail business, unless the retail business is owned by a corporation in which a manufacturer or importer has no direct stock ownership and there are no interlocking officers and directors, the retail license is held by a corporation that is not owned directly or indirectly by a manufacturer or importer, the sales of liquor are incidental to the primary activity of operating the property as a hotel, alcoholic beverages produced by the manufacturer or importer or their subsidiaries are not sold at the licensed premises, and the board reviews the ownership and proposed method of operation of all involved entities and determines that there will not be an unacceptable level of control or undue influence over the operation or the retail licensee; nor shall any manufacturer, importer, or distributor own any of the property upon which such licensed persons conduct their business; nor shall any such licensed person, under any arrangement whatsoever, conduct his or her business upon property in which any manufacturer, importer, or distributor has any interest unless title to that property is owned by a corporation in which a manufacturer has no direct stock ownership and there are no interlocking officers or directors, the retail license is held by a corporation that is not owned directly or indirectly by the manufacturer, the sales of liquor are incidental to the primary activity of operating the property either as a hotel or as an amphitheater offering live musical and similar live entertainment activities to the public, alcoholic beverages produced by the manufacturer or any of its subsidiaries are not sold at the licensed premises, and the board reviews the ownership and proposed method of operation of all involved entities and determines that there will not be an unacceptable level of control or undue influence over the operation of the retail licensee. Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no manufacturer, importer, or distributor shall advance moneys or moneys' worth to a licensed person under an arrangement, nor shall such licensed person receive, under an arrangement, an advance of moneys or moneys' worth. "Person" as used in this section only shall not include those state or federally chartered banks, state or federally chartered savings and loan associations, state or federally chartered mutual savings banks, or institutional investors which are not controlled directly or indirectly by a manufacturer, importer, or distributor as long as the bank, savings and loan association, or institutional investor does not influence or attempt to influence the purchasing practices of the retailer with respect to alcoholic beverages. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no manufacturer, importer, or distributor shall be eligible to receive or hold a retail license under this title, nor shall such manufacturer, importer, or distributor sell at retail any liquor as herein defined. A corporation granted an exemption under this subsection may use debt instruments issued in connection with financing construction or operations of its facilities.
     (b) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a licensed domestic brewery or microbrewery from being licensed as a retailer pursuant to chapter 66.24 RCW for the purpose of selling beer or wine at retail on the brewery premises and nothing in this section shall prohibit a domestic winery from being licensed as a retailer pursuant to chapter 66.24 RCW for the purpose of selling beer or wine at retail on the winery premises. Such beer and wine so sold at retail shall be subject to the taxes imposed by RCW 66.24.290 and 66.24.210 and to reporting and bonding requirements as prescribed by regulations adopted by the board pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, and beer and wine that is not produced by the brewery or winery shall be purchased from a licensed beer or wine distributor.
     (c) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a licensed distiller, domestic brewery, microbrewery, domestic winery, or a lessee of a licensed domestic brewer, microbrewery, or domestic winery, from being licensed as a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant pursuant to chapter 66.24 RCW for the purpose of selling liquor at a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant premises on the property on which the primary manufacturing facility of the licensed distiller, domestic brewer, microbrewery, or domestic winery is located or on contiguous property owned or leased by the licensed distiller, domestic brewer, microbrewery, or domestic winery as prescribed by rules adopted by the board pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW.
     (d) Nothing in this section prohibits retail licensees with a caterer's endorsement issued under RCW 66.24.320 or 66.24.420 from operating on a domestic winery premises.
     (2) Financial interest, direct or indirect, as used in this section, shall include any interest, whether by stock ownership, mortgage, lien, or through interlocking directors, or otherwise. Pursuant to rules promulgated by the board in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW manufacturers, distributors, and importers may perform, and retailers may accept the service of building, rotating and restocking case displays and stock room inventories; rotating and rearranging can and bottle displays of their own products; provide point of sale material and brand signs; price case goods of their own brands; and perform such similar normal business services as the board may by regulation prescribe.
     (3)(a) This section does not prohibit a manufacturer, importer, or distributor from providing services to a special occasion licensee for: (i) Installation of draft beer dispensing equipment or advertising, (ii) advertising, pouring, or dispensing of beer or wine at a beer or wine tasting exhibition or judging event, or (iii) a special occasion licensee from receiving any such services as may be provided by a manufacturer, importer, or distributor. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a retail licensee, or any person financially interested, directly or indirectly, in such a retail licensee from having a financial interest, direct or indirect, in a business which provides, for a compensation commensurate in value to the services provided, bottling, canning or other services to a manufacturer, so long as the retail licensee or person interested therein has no direct financial interest in or control of said manufacturer.
     (b) A person holding contractual rights to payment from selling a liquor distributor's business and transferring the license shall not be deemed to have a financial interest under this section if the person (i) lacks any ownership in or control of the distributor, (ii) is not employed by the distributor, and (iii) does not influence or attempt to influence liquor purchases by retail liquor licensees from the distributor.
     (c) The board shall adopt such rules as are deemed necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of subsection (3)(a) of this section in accordance with the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.
     (4) A license issued under RCW 66.24.395 does not constitute a retail license for the purposes of this section.
     (5) A public house license issued under RCW 66.24.580 does not violate the provisions of this section as to a retailer having an interest directly or indirectly in a liquor-licensed manufacturer.

Sec. 2   RCW 66.24.320 and 2003 c 345 s 1 and 2003 c 167 s 6 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     There shall be a beer and/or wine restaurant license to sell beer, including strong beer, or wine, or both, at retail, for consumption on the premises. A patron of the licensee may remove from the premises, recorked or recapped in its original container, any portion of wine that was purchased for consumption with a meal.
     (1) The annual fee shall be two hundred dollars for the beer license, two hundred dollars for the wine license, or four hundred dollars for a combination beer and wine license.
     (2)(a) The board may issue a caterer's endorsement to this license to allow the licensee to remove from the liquor stocks at the licensed premises, only those types of liquor that are authorized under the on-premises license privileges for sale and service at event locations at a specified date and, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, place not currently licensed by the board. Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, if the event is open to the public, it must be sponsored by a society or organization as defined by RCW 66.24.375. If attendance at the event is limited to members or invited guests of the sponsoring individual, society, or organization, the requirement that the sponsor must be a society or organization as defined by RCW 66.24.375 is waived. Cost of the endorsement is three hundred fifty dollars.
     (b) The holder of this license with catering endorsement shall, if requested by the board, notify the board or its designee of the date, time, place, and location of any catered event. Upon request, the licensee shall provide to the board all necessary or requested information concerning the society or organization that will be holding the function at which the endorsed license will be utilized.
     (3) Licensees under this section that hold a caterer's endorsement are allowed to use this endorsement on a domestic winery premises under the following conditions:
     (a) Agreements between the domestic winery and the retail licensee shall be in writing, contain no exclusivity clauses regarding the alcohol beverages to be served, and be filed with the board; and
     (b) The domestic winery and the retail licensee shall be separately contracted and compensated by the persons sponsoring the event for their respective services.
     (4) A domestic winery may hold three open to the public events on holidays on its manufacturing premises in any calendar year as long as it notifies the board or its designee of the date and time of the catered events.

Sec. 3   RCW 66.24.420 and 2003 c 345 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license shall be issued in accordance with the following schedule of annual fees:
     (a) The annual fee for a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license shall be graduated according to the dedicated dining area and type of service provided as follows:

     Less than 50% dedicated dining area$2,000
     50% or more dedicated dining area$1,600
     Service bar only$1,000

     (b) The annual fee for the license when issued to any other spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licensee outside of incorporated cities and towns shall be prorated according to the calendar quarters, or portion thereof, during which the licensee is open for business, except in case of suspension or revocation of the license.
     (c) Where the license shall be issued to any corporation, association or person operating a bona fide restaurant in an airport terminal facility providing service to transient passengers with more than one place where liquor is to be dispensed and sold, such license shall be issued upon the payment of the annual fee, which shall be a master license and shall permit such sale within and from one such place. Such license may be extended to additional places on the premises at the discretion of the board and a duplicate license may be issued for each such additional place: PROVIDED, That the holder of a master license for a restaurant in an airport terminal facility shall be required to maintain in a substantial manner at least one place on the premises for preparing, cooking, and serving of complete meals, and such food service shall be available on request in other licensed places on the premises: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That an additional license fee of twenty-five percent of the annual master license fee shall be required for such duplicate licenses.
     (d) Where the license shall be issued to any corporation, association, or person operating dining places at a publicly or privately owned civic or convention center with facilities for sports, entertainment, or conventions, or a combination thereof, with more than one place where liquor is to be dispensed and sold, such license shall be issued upon the payment of the annual fee, which shall be a master license and shall permit such sale within and from one such place. Such license may be extended to additional places on the premises at the discretion of the board and a duplicate license may be issued for each such additional place: PROVIDED, That the holder of a master license for a dining place at such a publicly or privately owned civic or convention center shall be required to maintain in a substantial manner at least one place on the premises for preparing, cooking, and serving of complete meals, and food service shall be available on request in other licensed places on the premises: PROVIDED FURTHER, That an additional license fee of ten dollars shall be required for such duplicate licenses.
     (e) Where the license shall be issued to any corporation, association or person operating more than one building containing dining places at privately owned facilities which are open to the public and where there is a continuity of ownership of all adjacent property, such license shall be issued upon the payment of an annual fee which shall be a master license and shall permit such sale within and from one such place. Such license may be extended to the additional dining places on the property or, in the case of a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licensed hotel, property owned or controlled by leasehold interest by that hotel for use as a conference or convention center or banquet facility open to the general public for special events in the same metropolitan area, at the discretion of the board and a duplicate license may be issued for each additional place: PROVIDED, That the holder of the master license for the dining place shall not offer alcoholic beverages for sale, service, and consumption at the additional place unless food service is available at both the location of the master license and the duplicate license: PROVIDED FURTHER, That an additional license fee of twenty dollars shall be required for such duplicate licenses.
     (2) The board, so far as in its judgment is reasonably possible, shall confine spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licenses to the business districts of cities and towns and other communities, and not grant such licenses in residential districts, nor within the immediate vicinity of schools, without being limited in the administration of this subsection to any specific distance requirements.
     (3) The board shall have discretion to issue spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licenses outside of cities and towns in the state of Washington. The purpose of this subsection is to enable the board, in its discretion, to license in areas outside of cities and towns and other communities, establishments which are operated and maintained primarily for the benefit of tourists, vacationers and travelers, and also golf and country clubs, and common carriers operating dining, club and buffet cars, or boats.
     (4) The total number of spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licenses issued in the state of Washington by the board, not including spirits, beer, and wine private club licenses, shall not in the aggregate at any time exceed one license for each fifteen hundred of population in the state, determined according to the yearly population determination developed by the office of financial management pursuant to RCW 43.62.030.
     (5) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (4) of this section, the board shall refuse a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license to any applicant if in the opinion of the board the spirits, beer, and wine restaurant licenses already granted for the particular locality are adequate for the reasonable needs of the community.
     (6)(a) The board may issue a caterer's endorsement to this license to allow the licensee to remove the liquor stocks at the licensed premises, for use as liquor for sale and service at event locations at a specified date and, except as provided in subsection (7) of this section, place not currently licensed by the board. Except as provided in subsection (8) of this section, if the event is open to the public, it must be sponsored by a society or organization as defined by RCW 66.24.375. If attendance at the event is limited to members or invited guests of the sponsoring individual, society, or organization, the requirement that the sponsor must be a society or organization as defined by RCW 66.24.375 is waived. Cost of the endorsement is three hundred fifty dollars.
     (b) The holder of this license with catering endorsement shall, if requested by the board, notify the board or its designee of the date, time, place, and location of any catered event. Upon request, the licensee shall provide to the board all necessary or requested information concerning the society or organization that will be holding the function at which the endorsed license will be utilized.
     (7) Licensees under this section that hold a caterer's endorsement are allowed to use this endorsement on a domestic winery premises under the following conditions:
     (a) Agreements between the domestic winery and the retail licensee shall be in writing, contain no exclusivity clauses regarding the alcohol beverages to be served, and be filed with the board; and
     (b) The domestic winery and the retail licensee shall be separately contracted and compensated by the persons sponsoring the event for their respective services.
     (8) A domestic winery may hold three open to the public events on holidays on its manufacturing premises in any calendar year as long as it notifies the board or its designee of the date and time of the catered events.

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