130th Ohio General Assembly
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(124th General Assembly)
(Substitute House Bill Number 330)



AN ACT
To amend sections 4301.17 and 4303.181 of the Revised Code to allow the Division of Liquor Control to base the population quota restrictions for agency stores that sell spirituous liquor on the Division's behalf on state population estimates determined by the Department of Development between federal decennial censuses; to change these population quota restrictions; and to eliminate the restriction against the same person operating or having an interest in more than sixteen agency stores in the state or more than eight agency stores in the same county; to require the Division to adopt rules governing the allocation and equitable distribution of agency store contracts; to allow a restaurant located at an airport operated by a port authority to be issued a D-5d liquor permit; to remove the prohibition against more than one D-5d permit being issued in the same county; and to allow permit holders that sell beer or intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises to operate an agency store adjacent to the premises.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio:

SECTION 1. That sections 4301.17 and 4303.181 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 4301.17.  (A)(1) Subject to local option as provided in sections 4301.32 to 4301.40 of the Revised Code, five state liquor stores or agencies may be established in each county. One additional store may be established in any county for each thirty twenty-five thousand of population of that county or major fraction thereof in excess of the first forty thousand, according to the last preceding federal decennial census or according to the population estimates certified by the department of development between decennial censuses. A person engaged in a mercantile business may act as the agent for the division of liquor control for the sale of spirituous liquor in a municipal corporation, in the unincorporated area of a township of not less than two thousand population, or in an area designated and approved as a resort area under section 4303.262 of the Revised Code, provided that not more than one agency contract shall be awarded in the unincorporated area of a county for each fifty thousand population of the county. The division shall fix the compensation for such an agent in the manner it considers best, but the compensation shall not exceed seven per cent of the gross sales made by the agent in any one year.

(2) The division shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code governing the allocation and equitable distribution of agency store contracts. The division shall comply with the rules when awarding a contract under division (A)(1) of this section.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no mercantile business that sells beer or intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises under a permit issued by the division shall operate an agency store at the premises or at any adjacent premises. An agency to which a D-1 permit has been issued may offer for sale tasting samples of beer, an agency to which a D-2 permit has been issued may offer for sale tasting samples of wine and mixed beverages, and an agency to which a D-5 permit has been issued may offer for sale tasting samples of beer, wine, and mixed beverages, but not spirituous liquor. A tasting sample shall not be sold for the purpose of general consumption. As used in this section, "tasting sample" means a small amount of beer, wine, or mixed beverages that is provided in not more than four servings of not more than two ounces each to an authorized purchaser and that allows the purchaser to determine, by tasting only, the quality and character of the beverage.

(B) When an agency contract is proposed or when an existing agency contract is assigned, before entering into any contract or consenting to any assignment, the division shall notify the legislative authority of the municipal corporation in which the agency store is to be located, or the board of county commissioners and the board of township trustees of the county and the township in which the agency store is to be located if the agency store is to be located outside the corporate limits of a municipal corporation, of the proposed contract or assignment, and an opportunity shall be provided officials or employees of the municipal corporation or county and township for a complete hearing upon the advisability of entering into the contract or consenting to the assignment. When the division sends notice to the legislative authority of the political subdivision, the department division shall notify, by certified mail or by personal service, the chief peace officer of the political subdivision, who may appear and testify, either in person or through a representative, at any hearing held on the advisability of entering into the contract or consenting to the assignment.

If the proposed agency store would be located within five hundred feet of a school, church, library, public playground, or township park, the division shall not enter into an agency contract until it has provided notice of the proposed contract to the authorities in control of the school, church, library, public playground, or township park and has provided those authorities with an opportunity for a complete hearing upon the advisability of entering into the contract. If an agency store so located is operating under an agency contract, the division may consent to the assignment of that contract to operate an agency store at the same location, but the division shall not consent to an assignment until it has notified the authorities in control of the school, church, library, public playground, or township park and has provided those authorities with an opportunity for a complete hearing upon the advisability of consenting to the assignment.

Any hearing provided for in this division shall be held in the central office of the division, except that upon written request of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation, the board of county commissioners, or the board of township trustees, or the authorities in control of the school, church, library, public playground, or township park, the hearing shall be held in the county seat of the county where the proposed agency store is to be located.

(C) All agency contracts entered into by the division pursuant to this section shall be in writing and shall contain a clause providing for the termination of the contract at will by the division upon its giving ninety days' notice in writing to the agent of its intention to do so. Any agency contract may include a clause requiring the agent to report to the appropriate law enforcement agency the name and address of any individual under twenty-one years of age who attempts to make an illegal purchase.

An agent may engage in the selling of beer, mixed beverages, and wine pursuant to permits issued to the agent under Chapter 4303. of the Revised Code.

The division shall issue a C-1 and C-2 permit to each agent who prior to November 1, 1994, had not been issued both of these permits, notwithstanding the population quota restrictions contained in section 4303.29 of the Revised Code or in any rule of the liquor control commission and notwithstanding the requirements of section 4303.31 of the Revised Code. The location of a C-1 or C-2 permit issued to such an agent shall not be transferred. The division shall revoke any C-1 or C-2 permit issued to an agent under this paragraph if the agent no longer operates an agency store.

No person shall operate, or have any interest, directly or indirectly, in more than eight state agencies in any one county or more than sixteen state agencies in the state for the sale of spirituous liquor. For purposes of this section, a person has an interest in a state agency if the person is a partner, member, officer, or director of, or a shareholder owning ten per cent or more of the capital stock of, any legal entity with which the department has entered into an agency contract.

The division may enter into agreements with the department of development to implement a minority loan program to provide low-interest loans to minority business enterprises, as defined in section 122.71 of the Revised Code, that are awarded liquor agency contracts or assignments.

(D) If the division closes a state liquor store and replaces that store with an agency store, any employees of the division employed at that state liquor store who lose their jobs at that store as a result shall be given preference by the agent who operates the agency store in filling any vacancies that occur among the agent's employees, if that preference does not conflict with the agent's obligations pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement.

If the division closes a state liquor store and replaces the store with an agency store, any employees of the division employed at the state liquor store who lose their jobs at that store as a result may displace other employees as provided in sections 124.321 to 124.328 of the Revised Code. If an employee cannot displace other employees and is laid off, the employee shall be reinstated in another job as provided in sections 124.321 to 124.328 of the Revised Code, except that the employee's rights of reinstatement in a job at a state liquor store shall continue for a period of two years after the date of the employee's layoff and shall apply to jobs at state liquor stores located in the employee's layoff jurisdiction and any layoff jurisdiction adjacent to the employee's layoff jurisdiction.

(E) The division shall require every agent to give bond with surety to the satisfaction of the division, in the amount the division fixes, conditioned for the faithful performance of the agent's duties as prescribed by the division.

Sec. 4303.181.  (A) Permit D-5a may be issued either to the owner or operator of a hotel or motel that is required to be licensed under section 3731.03 of the Revised Code, that contains at least fifty rooms for registered transient guests, and that qualifies under the other requirements of this section, or to the owner or operator of a restaurant specified under this section, to sell beer and any intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold, and to registered guests in their rooms, which may be sold by means of a controlled access alcohol and beverage cabinet in accordance with division (B) of section 4301.21 of the Revised Code; and to sell the same products in the same manner and amounts not for consumption on the premises as may be sold by holders of D-1 and D-2 permits. The premises of the hotel or motel shall include a retail food establishment or a food service operation licensed pursuant to Chapter 3717. of the Revised Code that operates as a restaurant for purposes of this chapter and that is affiliated with the hotel or motel and within or contiguous to the hotel or motel, and that serves food within the hotel or motel, but the principal business of the owner or operator of the hotel or motel shall be the accommodation of transient guests. In addition to the privileges authorized in this division, the holder of a D-5a permit may exercise the same privileges as the holder of a D-5 permit.

The owner or operator of a hotel, motel, or restaurant who qualified for and held a D-5a permit on August 4, 1976, may, if the owner or operator held another permit before holding a D-5a permit, either retain a D-5a permit or apply for the permit formerly held, and the division of liquor control shall issue the permit for which the owner or operator applies and formerly held, notwithstanding any quota.

A D-5a permit shall not be transferred to another location. No quota restriction shall be placed on the number of such permits that may be issued.

The fee for this permit is one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars.

(B) Permit D-5b may be issued to the owner, operator, tenant, lessee, or occupant of an enclosed shopping center to sell beer and intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold; and to sell the same products in the same manner and amount not for consumption on the premises as may be sold by holders of D-1 and D-2 permits. In addition to the privileges authorized in this division, the holder of a D-5b permit may exercise the same privileges as a holder of a D-5 permit.

A D-5b permit shall not be transferred to another location.

One D-5b permit may be issued at an enclosed shopping center containing at least two hundred twenty-five thousand, but less than four hundred thousand, square feet of floor area.

Two D-5b permits may be issued at an enclosed shopping center containing at least four hundred thousand square feet of floor area. No more than one D-5b permit may be issued at an enclosed shopping center for each additional two hundred thousand square feet of floor area or fraction of that floor area, up to a maximum of five D-5b permits for each enclosed shopping center. The number of D-5b permits that may be issued at an enclosed shopping center shall be determined by subtracting the number of D-3 and D-5 permits issued in the enclosed shopping center from the number of D-5b permits that otherwise may be issued at the enclosed shopping center under the formulas provided in this division. Except as provided in this section, no quota shall be placed on the number of D-5b permits that may be issued. Notwithstanding any quota provided in this section, the holder of any D-5b permit first issued in accordance with this section is entitled to its renewal in accordance with section 4303.271 of the Revised Code.

The holder of a D-5b permit issued before April 4, 1984, whose tenancy is terminated for a cause other than nonpayment of rent, may return the D-5b permit to the division of liquor control, and the division shall cancel that permit. Upon cancellation of that permit and upon the permit holder's payment of taxes, contributions, premiums, assessments, and other debts owing or accrued upon the date of cancellation to this state and its political subdivisions and a filing with the division of a certification of that payment, the division shall issue to that person either a D-5 permit, or a D-1, a D-2, and a D-3 permit, as that person requests. The division shall issue the D-5 permit, or the D-1, D-2, and D-3 permits, even if the number of D-1, D-2, D-3, or D-5 permits currently issued in the municipal corporation or in the unincorporated area of the township where that person's proposed premises is located equals or exceeds the maximum number of such permits that can be issued in that municipal corporation or in the unincorporated area of that township under the population quota restrictions contained in section 4303.29 of the Revised Code. Any D-1, D-2, D-3, or D-5 permit so issued shall not be transferred to another location. If a D-5b permit is canceled under the provisions of this paragraph, the number of D-5b permits that may be issued at the enclosed shopping center for which the D-5b permit was issued, under the formula provided in this division, shall be reduced by one if the enclosed shopping center was entitled to more than one D-5b permit under the formula.

The fee for this permit is one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars.

(C) Permit D-5c may be issued to the owner or operator of a retail food establishment or a food service operation licensed pursuant to Chapter 3717. of the Revised Code that operates as a restaurant for purposes of this chapter and that qualifies under the other requirements of this section to sell beer and any intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold, and to sell the same products in the same manner and amounts not for consumption on the premises as may be sold by holders of D-1 and D-2 permits. In addition to the privileges authorized in this division, the holder of a D-5c permit may exercise the same privileges as the holder of a D-5 permit.

To qualify for a D-5c permit, the owner or operator of a retail food establishment or a food service operation licensed pursuant to Chapter 3717. of the Revised Code that operates as a restaurant for purposes of this chapter, shall have operated the restaurant at the proposed premises for not less than twenty-four consecutive months immediately preceding the filing of the application for the permit, have applied for a D-5 permit no later than December 31, 1988, and appear on the division's quota waiting list for not less than six months immediately preceding the filing of the application for the permit. In addition to these requirements, the proposed D-5c permit premises shall be located within a municipal corporation and further within an election precinct that, at the time of the application, has no more than twenty-five per cent of its total land area zoned for residential use.

A D-5c permit shall not be transferred to another location. No quota restriction shall be placed on the number of such permits that may be issued.

Any person who has held a D-5c permit for at least two years may apply for a D-5 permit, and the division of liquor control shall issue the D-5 permit notwithstanding the quota restrictions contained in section 4303.29 of the Revised Code or in any rule of the liquor control commission.

The fee for this permit is one thousand two hundred fifty dollars.

(D) Permit D-5d may be issued to the owner or operator of a retail food establishment or a food service operation licensed pursuant to Chapter 3717. of the Revised Code that operates as a restaurant for purposes of this chapter and that is located at an airport operated by a board of county commissioners pursuant to section 307.20 of the Revised Code, at an airport operated by a port authority pursuant to Chapter 4582. of the Revised Code, or at an airport operated by a regional airport authority pursuant to Chapter 308. of the Revised Code. Not more than one D-5d permit shall be issued in each county. The holder of a D-5d permit may sell beer and any intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold, and may sell the same products in the same manner and amounts not for consumption on the premises where sold as may be sold by the holders of D-1 and D-2 permits. In addition to the privileges authorized in this division, the holder of a D-5d permit may exercise the same privileges as the holder of a D-5 permit.

A D-5d permit shall not be transferred to another location. Except as otherwise provided in this division, no No quota restrictions shall be placed on the number of such permits that may be issued.

The fee for this permit is one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars.

(E) Permit D-5e may be issued to any nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 501(c)(3), as amended, or that is a charitable organization under any chapter of the Revised Code, and that owns or operates a riverboat that meets all of the following:

(1) Is permanently docked at one location;

(2) Is designated as an historical riverboat by the Ohio historical society;

(3) Contains not less than fifteen hundred square feet of floor area;

(4) Has a seating capacity of fifty or more persons.

The holder of a D-5e permit may sell beer and intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold.

A D-5e permit shall not be transferred to another location. No quota restriction shall be placed on the number of such permits that may be issued. The population quota restrictions contained in section 4303.29 of the Revised Code or in any rule of the liquor control commission shall not apply to this division, and the division shall issue a D-5e permit to any applicant who meets the requirements of this division. However, the division shall not issue a D-5e permit if the permit premises or proposed permit premises are located within an area in which the sale of spirituous liquor by the glass is prohibited.

The fee for this permit is nine hundred seventy-five dollars.

(F) Permit D-5f may be issued to the owner or operator of a retail food establishment or a food service operation licensed under Chapter 3717. of the Revised Code that operates as a restaurant for purposes of this chapter and that meets all of the following:

(1) It contains not less than twenty-five hundred square feet of floor area.

(2) It is located on or in, or immediately adjacent to, the shoreline of, a navigable river.

(3) It provides docking space for twenty-five boats.

(4) It provides entertainment and recreation, provided that not less than fifty per cent of the business on the permit premises shall be preparing and serving meals for a consideration.

In addition, each application for a D-5f permit shall be accompanied by a certification from the local legislative authority that the issuance of the D-5f permit is not inconsistent with that political subdivision's comprehensive development plan or other economic development goal as officially established by the local legislative authority.

The holder of a D-5f permit may sell beer and intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold.

A D-5f permit shall not be transferred to another location. No more than fifteen D-5f permits shall be issued by the division of liquor control, and no more than two such permits shall be issued in any county. However, the division shall not issue a D-5f permit if the permit premises or proposed permit premises are located within an area in which the sale of spirituous liquor by the glass is prohibited.

A fee for this permit is one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars.

As used in this division, "navigable river" means a river that is also a "navigable water" as defined in the "Federal Power Act," 94 Stat. 770 (1980), 16 U.S.C. 796.

(G) Permit D-5g may be issued to a nonprofit corporation that is either the owner or the operator of a national professional sports museum. The holder of a D-5g permit may sell beer and any intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold. The holder of a D-5g permit shall sell no beer or intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises where sold after one a.m. A D-5g permit shall not be transferred to another location. No quota restrictions shall be placed on the number of D-5g permits that may be issued. The fee for this permit is one thousand five hundred dollars.

(H) Permit D-5h may be issued to any nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 501(c)(3), as amended, that owns or operates a fine arts museum and has no less than five thousand bona fide members possessing full membership privileges. The holder of a D-5h permit may sell beer and any intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold. The holder of a D-5h permit shall sell no beer or intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises where sold after one a.m. A D-5h permit shall not be transferred to another location. No quota restrictions shall be placed on the number of D-5h permits that may be issued. The fee for this permit is one thousand five hundred dollars.

(I) Permit D-5i may be issued to the owner or operator of a retail food establishment or a food service operation licensed under Chapter 3717. of the Revised Code that operates as a restaurant for purposes of this chapter and that meets all of the following requirements:

(1) It is located in a municipal corporation or a township with a population of fifty thousand or less.

(2) It has inside seating capacity for at least one hundred forty persons.

(3) It has at least four thousand square feet of floor area.

(4) It offers full-course meals, appetizers, and sandwiches.

(5) Its receipts from beer and liquor sales do not exceed twenty-five per cent of its total gross receipts.

(6) The value of its real and personal property exceeds seven hundred twenty-five thousand dollars.

The holder of a D-5i permit shall cause an independent audit to be performed at the end of one full year of operation following issuance of the permit in order to verify the requirements of division (I)(5) of this section. The results of the independent audit shall be transmitted to the division. Upon determining that the receipts of the holder from beer and liquor sales exceeded twenty-five per cent of its total gross receipts, the division shall suspend the permit of the permit holder under section 4301.25 of the Revised Code and may allow the permit holder to elect a forfeiture under section 4301.252 of the Revised Code.

The holder of a D-5i permit may sell beer and any intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold, and may sell the same products in the same manner and amounts not for consumption on the premises where sold as may be sold by the holders of D-1 and D-2 permits. The holder of a D-5i permit shall sell no beer or intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises where sold after two-thirty a.m. In addition to the privileges authorized in this division, the holder of a D-5i permit may exercise the same privileges as the holder of a D-5 permit.

A D-5i permit shall not be transferred to another location. The division of liquor control shall not renew a D-5i permit unless the food service operation for which it is issued continues to meet the requirements described in divisions (I)(1) to (6) of this section. No quota restrictions shall be placed on the number of D-5i permits that may be issued. The fee for this permit is one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars.

(J)(1) Permit D-5j may be issued to the owner or the operator of a retail food establishment or a food service operation licensed under Chapter 3717. of the Revised Code to sell beer and intoxicating liquor at retail, only by the individual drink in glass and from the container, for consumption on the premises where sold and to sell beer and intoxicating liquor in the same manner and amounts not for consumption on the premises where sold as may be sold by the holders of D-1 and D-2 permits. The holder of a D-5j permit may exercise the same privileges, and shall observe the same hours of operation, as the holder of a D-5 permit.

(2) The D-5j permit shall be issued only within a community entertainment district that is designated under section 4301.80 of the Revised Code and that is located in a municipal corporation with a population of at least one hundred thousand.

(3) The location of a D-5j permit may be transferred only within the geographic boundaries of the community entertainment district in which it was issued and shall not be transferred outside the geographic boundaries of that district.

(4) Not more than one D-5j permit shall be issued within each community entertainment district for each five acres of land located within the district. Not more than fifteen D-5j permits may be issued within a single community entertainment district. Except as otherwise provided in division (J)(4) of this section, no quota restrictions shall be placed upon the number of D-5j permits that may be issued.

(5) The fee for a D-5j permit is one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars.

SECTION 2. That existing sections 4301.17 and 4303.181 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

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