SB2551

Report Title:

Liquor Commission

Description:

Authorizes the liquor commission to reduce the time from 30 days to 15 days for giving a decision to grant or refuse an application. Allows commission to remove names from registered voter list for lack of residency. Deems an application denied if the commission does not make a decision granting or refusing an application.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2551
TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO INTOXICATING LIQUOR.

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

SECTION 1. Section 281-57, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

"(c) Immediately upon the commission's fixing a day for the public hearing of the application, the applicant shall mail a notice setting forth the time and place of the hearing on the application to each of the following:

(1) Not less than two-thirds of the current owners and lessees of record of real estate and owners of record of shares in a cooperative apartment or to those individuals on the list of owners as provided by the managing agent or governing body of the shareholders association situated within a distance of five hundred feet from the nearest point of the premises for which the license is asked to the nearest point of such real estate or cooperative apartment; provided that in meeting this requirement, the applicant shall mail a notice to not less than three-fourths of the owners and lessees of record of real estate and owners of record of shares in a cooperative apartment situated within a distance of one hundred feet from the nearest point of the premises for which the license is asked. Notice by mail may be addressed to the last known address of the person concerned or to the address as shown in the last tax return filed by the person or the person's agent or representative;

(2) In counties with a population of two hundred-fifty thousand or more, not less than two-thirds of the registered voters residing within, and small businesses situated within, a distance of five hundred feet from the nearest point of the premises for which the license is asked; provided that in meeting this requirement, the applicant shall mail notices to not less than three-fourths of the registered voters residing within, and small businesses situated within, a distance of one hundred feet from the nearest point of the premises for which the license is asked. This paragraph shall not apply to any applicant that is a hotel as defined in section 486K-1, a restaurant, or a convenience store. A notice sent pursuant to this paragraph shall be addressed to the "occupant" of the residential unit or small business; and

(3) For each condominium project and cooperative apartment within the five hundred-foot area, one notice of the hearing shall be sent by mail addressed "To the Residents, Care of the Manager", followed by the name and address of the condominium or cooperative apartment involved.

The notices required under this subsection shall be mailed at least forty-five days prior to the date set for the hearing. No promotional information shall be allowed on, or accompany the notice. Before the hearing, and within seven days of having mailed the notices, the applicant shall file with the commission an affidavit that the notices have been mailed in compliance with this subsection. In addition to the affidavit (which shall be made available within the same seven-day period with proof of having mailed the notices), the applicant shall include both a master list of one hundred per cent of addressees and addresses required by paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), and another mailing list consisting of the portion of addressees and their respective addresses who were mailed the notice purposely needed to meet the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3). The affidavit, master list, and mailing list shall be made available within seven days (of the mailing of the notice by the applicant) by the commission for public review upon request. For purposes of this section "master list" means every owner and lessee who would otherwise be required to receive notice of the public hearing according to the requirement of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), even if they were not actually included in the two-third or three-fourths requirement (as the case may be) of paragraph (1) or (2), and every condominium project and cooperative apartment qualifying in paragraph (3). The commission shall cancel the hearing if not receiving the affidavit prior to the hearing or if discovering that the affidavit is false."

SECTION 2. Section 281-59, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) Upon the day of hearing, or any adjournment thereof, the liquor commission shall consider the application and any protests and objections to the granting thereof, and hear the parties in interest. The liquor commission shall accept all written or oral testimony for or against the application whether the application is denied, refused, or withdrawn. Within [~~fifteen~~] thirty days after the hearing, or [~~within thirty days thereafter if in its discretion~~] within fifteen days if the commission [~~extends the fifteen days~~] so reduces the time [~~to thirty days,~~] and [~~gives~~] give public notice [~~of same,~~] thereof, the commission shall give its decision granting or refusing the application;

[~~provided that if a majority of the:~~]; provided that notwithstanding section 91-13.5, if the commission does not make a decision granting or refusing the application, the application shall be deemed denied. If a majority of the:

(1) Registered voters for the area within five hundred feet of the nearest point of the premises for which the license is asked; provided that the commission may remove names from the list of registered voters after confirming a lack of residency of these voters in the area, in accordance with procedures adopted by the commission pursuant to administrative rule; or

(2) Owners and lessees of record of real estate and owners of record of shares in a cooperative apartment within five hundred feet of the nearest point of the premises for which the license is asked;

have duly filed or caused to be filed their protests against the granting of the license, or if there appears any other disqualification under this chapter, the application shall be refused. Otherwise, the commission may in its discretion grant or refuse the same.

For purposes of defining "a majority of the owners and lessees of record of real estate and owners of record of shares in a cooperative apartment", each property counts only once. A protest submitted by the majority of the co-owners or the majority of the co-lessees of a property shall constitute a protest by all the owners or lessees of record of that property. Owners or lessees who own more than one property may count each property."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________