Title: An act relating to liquor licenses issued to entities providing concession services on vessels owned by the Washington state ferries.

Brief Description: Allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages on state ferries.

Sponsors: Senators Poulsen, Kohl-Welles and Rockefeller.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Labor, Commerce, Research & Development: 2/1/06, 2/2/06 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, COMMERCE, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6791 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Kohl-Welles, Chair; Franklin, Vice Chair; Parlette, Ranking Minority Member; Brown, Hewitt, Honeyford, Keiser and Prentice.

Staff: Jennifer Strus (786-7316)

Background: The entity with whom the Washington State Ferries contracts to provide concession services on a state ferry must obtain a liquor license in order to serve alcohol on the vessel. The Liquor Control Board requires that a separate license be issued for each vessel upon which alcohol will be served. If the vessel for which the license is issued is out of commission and a substitute vessel is brought in temporarily, the entity providing concession services cannot serve alcohol on the substitute vessel.

Summary of Substitute Bill: If a beer and/or wine restaurant license is issued to a person who contracts with the Washington state ferry system to provide food and alcohol services on a designated ferry route, the license shall cover any vessel assigned to that route.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The liquor license is issued for the ferry route rather than for each individual vessel.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The persons who provide food and alcohol services on a vessel owned by the Washington Ferry System cannot provide these services if the vessel normally used is out of service and a substitute vessel brought in. Customers like and count on these amenities and to not be able to offer them in the event a substitute ferry is used causes a loss of business.

Testimony Against: None.

Testimony Other: The better method of dealing with the issue of licenses issued to individual ferry vessels is to license the route rather than the vessel.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator Poulsen, Prime Sponsor; Bill Dorn, Sound Food; Nove Meyers, Olympic Cascade Services; Jennifer Ziegler, DOT.

OTHER: Rick Gaza, LCB.