SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5689

               AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 16, 1993

Brief Description:  Establishing a license to sell liquor in motels.

SPONSORS: Senators Moore, West, Vognild and McCaslin

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Moore, Chairman; Amondson, Fraser, McAuliffe, Newhouse, Pelz, Prince, and Vognild.

Staff:  Patrick Woods (786‑7430)

Hearing Dates: February 19, 1993; February 26, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Hotels and clubs with class H liquor licenses may sell liquor by the bottle to registered guests for consumption in guest rooms, hospitality rooms, or at banquets.  Guests may remove from the premises any unused portion of purchased liquor in its original container.  A hotel is required to have a full service dining room in order to hold a class H liquor license.

Motels that do not hold a class H liquor license are not authorized to sell individual bottles of liquor to guests.

SUMMARY:

A new class M liquor license is established.  The license may be issued to a motel, which is defined as a facility offering three or more self-contained units to travelers and transient guests.  The license must not be issued to a motel offering rooms on an hourly basis.  The license authorizes the motel to sell individual bottles of spirits not to exceed 50 milliliters, individual bottles of wine not to exceed 187 milliliters, and individual cans and bottles of beer not to exceed 12 ounces to registered guests for consumption in guest rooms.

Containers of alcohol must be kept in locked honor bars and the bars are required to have snack foods.  A licensee may not have honor bars in more than one-half of its guest rooms.  The licensee must require proof of age from guests requesting the use of an honor bar.  The guest must also sign an affidavit verifying that no one under 21 years of age will have access to the alcohol.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  yes

Fiscal Note:  requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

A class M license will allow motels to provide additional services to patrons and put these establishments on an equal competitive footing with hotels that have mini-bars.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

By permitting motels that do not hold class H liquor licenses to have mini-bars the state's control of spirituous liquor sales is compromised.

TESTIFIED:  Terry Lynch, Inland Empire Innkeepers (pro); Roberta Lynch, WSHMA Chairman of Board (pro); Raymond Thieman, Inland Empire Innkeepers (pro); Carter Mitchell, Liquor Control Board (con); Tim Schellbey, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (con)