PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 606, 1396

PRINTER'S NO.  1575

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

557

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY BEYER, CALTAGIRONE, DALEY, KILLION, KORTZ, MANN, MILLARD AND MOUL, FEBRUARY 23, 2009

  

  

AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, APRIL 21, 2009   

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

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Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled, as

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reenacted, "An act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and

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malt and brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating

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and changing the laws relating thereto; regulating and

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restricting the manufacture, purchase, sale, possession,

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consumption, importation, transportation, furnishing, holding

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in bond, holding in storage, traffic in and use of alcoholic

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liquors, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages and the

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persons engaged or employed therein; defining the powers and

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duties of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; providing

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for the establishment and operation of State liquor stores,

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for the payment of certain license fees to the respective

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municipalities and townships, for the abatement of certain

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nuisances and, in certain cases, for search and seizure

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without warrant; prescribing penalties and forfeitures;

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providing for local option, and repealing existing laws,"

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further providing for definitions, for authority to issue

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liquor licenses, for applicants for wine auction permits, for

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prohibitions against the grant of licenses and for

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interlocking businesses prohibited.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby enacts as follows:

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Section 1.  Section 401(a) of the act of April 12, 1951

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(P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, reenacted and amended

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June 29, 1987 (P.L.32, No.14) and amended July 6, 2005 (P.L.135,

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No.39), is amended to read:

 


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Section 1.  The definition of "performing arts facility" in

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section 102 of the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known

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as the Liquor Code, reenacted and amended June 29, 1987 (P.L.32,

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No.14), and amended December 20, 2000 (P.L.992, No.141), is

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amended to read:

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Section 102.  Definitions.--The following words or phrases,

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unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, shall have the

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meanings ascribed to them in this section:

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* * *

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"Performing arts facilities" shall mean those halls or

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theaters in which live musical, concert, dance, ballet and

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legitimate play book-length productions are performed.

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Performing arts facilities shall not mean those halls or

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theaters in which burlesque shows or reviews are performed. If

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the operator of the performing arts facility is a nonprofit

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entity, the facility must have seating for at least [five

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hundred (500)] two hundred fifty (250) people; otherwise, the

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facility must have seating for at least twenty-five hundred

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(2,500) people.

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* * *

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Section 2.  Section 401(a) of the act, amended July 6, 2005

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(P.L.135, No.39), is amended to read:

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Section 401.  Authority to Issue Liquor Licenses to Hotels,

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Restaurants and Clubs.--(a)  Subject to the provisions of this

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act and regulations promulgated under this act, the board shall

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have authority to issue a retail liquor license for any premises

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kept or operated by a hotel, restaurant or club and specified in

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the license entitling the hotel, restaurant or club to purchase

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liquor from a Pennsylvania Liquor Store and to keep on the

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premises such liquor and, subject to the provisions of this act

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and the regulations made thereunder, to sell the same and also

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malt or brewed beverages to guests, patrons or members for

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consumption on the hotel, restaurant or club premises. Such

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licensees, other than clubs, shall be permitted to sell malt or

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brewed beverages for consumption off the premises where sold in

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quantities of not more than one hundred ninety-two fluid ounces

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in a single sale to one person as provided for in section 407.

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Such licenses shall be known as hotel liquor licenses,

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restaurant liquor licenses and club liquor licenses,

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respectively. [No person who holds, either by appointment or

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election, any public office which involves the duty to enforce

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any of the penal laws of the United States of America or the

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penal laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or any penal

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ordinance or resolution of any political subdivision of this

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Commonwealth shall be issued any hotel or restaurant liquor

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license, nor shall such a person have any interest, directly or

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indirectly, in any such license.] No person who holds any public

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office which involves the duty to enforce any of the penal laws

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of the United States of America, this Commonwealth or of any

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political subdivision of this Commonwealth shall have any

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interest in any hotel or restaurant liquor license. This

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prohibition applies to anyone with arrest authority, including,

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but not limited to, police officers, sheriffs, district

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attorneys, State attorneys general and United States attorneys.

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This prohibition shall also apply to district justices, judges

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or any other individuals who can impose a criminal sentence.

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This prohibition does not apply to members of the General

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Assembly, township supervisors, city councilpersons, mayors

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without arrest authority and any other public office which does

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not involve the ability to arrest or the ability to impose a

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criminal sentence. This section also does not apply if the

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proposed premises are located outside the jurisdiction of the

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individual in question.

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* * *

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Section 2 3.  Section 408.12(a) of the act, amended July 16,

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2007 (P.L.107, No.34), is amended to read:

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Section 408.12.  Wine Auction Permits.--(a)  Upon application

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of:

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(1)  any nonprofit hospital;

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(2)  any nonprofit public television station which is a

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member of the Pennsylvania Public Television Network;

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(3)  any orchestra located in a county of the first, second

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or third class which is operated by a nonprofit corporation;

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(4)  any museum located in a county of the first, second or

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third class which is operated by a nonprofit corporation;

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(5)  any nonprofit corporation located in any county of the

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third class which trains and places dogs for people who are

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physically handicapped;

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(6)  any nationally recognized community-based voluntary

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health organization committed to fighting cancer which has been

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in existence for at least ninety years;

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(7)  any nationally recognized emergency response

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organization that offers humanitarian care to victims of war or

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natural disaster and has been in existence for at least one

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hundred twenty-five years;

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(8)  any nationally recognized organization whose purpose is

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to serve as an agent to collect funds for local charities, as

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well as to coordinate relief services, counsel and refer clients

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to cooperating agencies and make emergency assistance grants and

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has been in existence for at least one hundred twenty years;

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[or]

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(9)  any hospice as defined under section 802.1 of the act of

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July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the "Health Care

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Facilities Act"; or

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(10)  any university which is a member of the Association of

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Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania and which

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is located in a township of the second class in a county of the

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third class;

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and upon payment of a fee of thirty dollars ($30) per day, the

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board shall issue a wine auction permit good for a period of not

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more than four consecutive or nonconsecutive days per calendar

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year.

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* * *

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Section 3 4.  Sections 411(e) and 437(d) of the act are

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amended to read:

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Section 411.  Interlocking Business Prohibited.--* * *

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(e)  Except as herein provided, no hotel, restaurant, retail

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dispenser or club licensee, and no officer, director or

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stockholder, agent or employe of any such licensee shall in any

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wise be interested, directly or indirectly, in the ownership or

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leasehold of any property or the equipment of any property or

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any mortgage lien against the same, used by a distributor,

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importing distributor, or by an importer or sacramental wine

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licensee, in the conduct of his business; nor shall any hotel,

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restaurant, retail dispenser or club licensee, or any officer,

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director, stockholder, agent or employe of any such licensee,

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either directly or indirectly, lend any moneys, credit, or give

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anything of value or the equivalent thereof, to any distributor,

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importing distributor, importer or sacramental wine licensee,

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for equipping, fitting out, or maintaining and conducting,

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either in whole or in part, an establishment used in the conduct

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of his business.

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The purpose of this section is to require a separation of the

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financial and business interests between manufacturers and

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holders of hotel or restaurant liquor licenses and, as herein

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provided, of club licenses, issued under this article, and no

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person shall, by any device whatsoever, directly or indirectly,

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evade the provisions of the section. But in view of existing

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economic conditions, nothing contained in this section shall be

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construed to prohibit the ownership of property or conflicting

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interest by a manufacturer of any place occupied by a licensee

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under this article after the manufacturer has continuously owned

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and had a conflicting interest in such place for a period of at

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least five years prior to July eighteenth, one thousand nine

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hundred thirty-five: Provided, however, That this clause shall

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not prohibit any hotel, restaurant or club liquor licensee from

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owning land which is leased to, and the buildings thereon owned

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by, a holder of a retail dispenser's license; and nothing in

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this clause shall prevent the issuance of a retail dispenser's

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license to a lessee of such lands who owns the buildings

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thereon: And, provided further, That nothing contained in this

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section shall be construed to prohibit any hotel, restaurant,

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retail dispenser or club licensee or any officer, director or

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stockholder, agent or employe of any such licensee from having a

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financial or other interest, directly or indirectly in the

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ownership or leasehold of any property or the equipment of any

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property or any mortgage lien against same, used, leased by an

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importer or sacramental wine licensee for the exclusive purpose

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of maintaining commercial offices and on the condition that said

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property is not used for the storage or sale of liquor or malt

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or brewed beverages in any quantity[.]: And, provided further,

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That nothing in this section shall prohibit a person from having

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an interest in a holder of a manufacturer, importer or

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sacramental wine license and an interest in a holder of a hotel,

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restaurant or club license so long as the person is not an

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officer or director or either license holder, does not hold a

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license of its own and does not exercise any control over any of

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the licensed entities: And, provided further, That nothing in

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this section shall prohibit a licensee, or its officers,

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directors, shareholders, agents or employes from being an

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officer, director or agent of an entity that has been issued a

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restaurant liquor license under section 412 or 413 so long as

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the licensee, or its officer, director, shareholder, agent or

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employe does not have a financial interest in the license issued

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under section 412 or 413.

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Section 437.  Prohibitions Against the Grant of Licenses.--*

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(d)  [No person who holds, either by appointment or election,

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any public office which involves the duty to enforce any of the

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penal laws of the United States of America or any of the penal

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laws of this Commonwealth or any penal ordinance or resolution

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of any political subdivision of this Commonwealth shall be

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issued any manufacturer's, importing distributor's,

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distributor's or retail dispenser's license, nor shall such a

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person have any interest, directly or indirectly, in any such

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license.] No person who holds any public office which involves

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the duty to enforce any of the penal laws of the United States

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of America, this Commonwealth or of any political subdivision of

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this Commonwealth, shall have any interest in any manufacturer,

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distributor, importing distributor or restaurant liquor license.

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This prohibition applies to anyone with arrest authority,

2

including, but not limited to, police officers, sheriffs,

3

district attorneys, State attorneys general and United States

4

attorneys. This prohibition shall also apply to district

5

justices, judges or any other individual who can impose a

6

criminal penalty. This prohibition does not apply to members of

7

the General Assembly, township supervisors, city councilpersons,

8

mayors without arrest authority and any other public office

9

which does not involve the ability to arrest or the ability to

10

impose a criminal sentence. This section also does not apply if

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the proposed premises are located outside the jurisdiction of

12

the individual in question.

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Section 4 5.  Section 443(g) of the act, amended May 31, 1996

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(P.L.312, No.49), is amended to read:

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Section 443.  Interlocking Business Prohibited.--* * *

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(g)  The purpose of this section is to require a separation

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of the financial and business interests between the various

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classes of business regulated by subdivision (B) of this

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article, and no person or corporation shall, by any device

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whatsoever, directly or indirectly, evade the provisions of this

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section. But in view of existing economic conditions, nothing

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contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit the

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ownership of property or conflicting interest by a malt or

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brewed beverage manufacturer of any place occupied by a

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distributor, importing distributor or retail dispenser after the

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manufacturer has continuously owned and had a conflicting

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interest in such place for a period of at least five years prior

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to the eighteenth day of July, one thousand nine hundred thirty-

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five: Provided, however, That a holder of a manufacturer's

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license under section 431(a) who is eligible to operate a

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brewery pub under section 446(2) or a limited winery as provided

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for under section 505.2 may also hold and operate under a hotel

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liquor license, a restaurant liquor license or a malt and brewed

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beverages retail license on the manufacturer's or limited

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winery's licensed premises. The hotel liquor license or

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restaurant liquor license or the malt and brewed beverages

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retail license shall be acquired by the manufacturer or limited

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winery subject to section 461 and shall satisfy all requirements

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for each respective license.

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Notwithstanding any other provisions of this act, it shall be

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lawful for a person to own an interest in a holder of a

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manufacturing license and an interest in a holder of a

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distributor, importing distributor or retail dispenser license

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so long as the entity is not an officer or director of any of

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the licensed entities, does not hold a license of its own and

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does not exercise any control over any of the licensed entities.

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Likewise, it shall be permissible for a person to have an

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interest in a holder of a distributor or importing distributor

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license and an interest in a holder of a retail dispenser

20

license so long as that person is not an officer or director of

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either license holder, does not hold a license of its own and

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does not exercise any control over any of the licensed entities.

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Further, nothing in this section shall prohibit a licensee, or

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its officers, directors, shareholders, agents or employes from

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being an officer, director or agent of an entity that has been

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issued a restaurant liquor license under section 412 or 413 so

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long as the licensee, or its officer, director, shareholder,

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agent or employe does not have a financial interest in the

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license issued under section 412 or 413.

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The term "manufacturer" as used in this section shall include

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manufacturers of malt or brewed beverages as defined in this act

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and any person manufacturing any malt or brewed beverages

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outside of this Commonwealth.

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Section 5 6.  This act shall take effect immediately.

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