HOUSE BILL No. 4146

 

February 2, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Farhat and Accavitti and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

 

     A bill to amend 1998 PA 58, entitled

 

"Michigan liquor control code of 1998,"

 

by amending section 1201 (MCL 436.2201) and by adding section 521a.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 521a. (1) In addition to any licenses for the sale of

 

alcoholic liquor for consumption on the premises that may be

 

available in the local governmental unit under section 531(1), and

 

the resort and resort economic development licenses authorized in

 

section 531(2), (3), and (4), the commission may issue not more

 

than 10 tavern or class C licenses to persons who operate

 

businesses that meet all of the following conditions:

 

     (a) The business is a full service restaurant, is open to the

 

public, and prepares food on the premises.


 

     (b) The business is open for food service not less than 10

 

hours per day and at least 6 days per week.

 

     (c) At least 60% of the gross receipts of the business are

 

derived from the sale of food for consumption on the premises. For

 

purposes of this subdivision, food does not include beer and wine.

 

     (d) The business has dining facilities to seat not fewer than

 

25 persons.

 

     (e) The business is located in a city in an entertainment zone

 

or other area designated by the city of not more than 1 square mile

 

in size that would accommodate at least 20 establishments that are

 

full-service restaurants serving alcoholic liquor on-premises, as

 

determined by the commissioner.

 

     (2) The individual signing the application for a license under

 

subsection (1) shall state and demonstrate that the applicant

 

attempted to secure an appropriate on-premise escrowed license or

 

quota license issued under section 531 and that, to the best of his

 

or her knowledge, an on-premise escrowed license or quota license

 

issued under section 531 is not readily available within the city

 

in which the entertainment zone is located.

 

     (3) If in any licensing year the sale of food for consumption

 

on the premises of a person that holds a license under this section

 

represents less than 60% of the gross receipts for the business,

 

the commission, after notice and opportunity for an administrative

 

hearing, shall prohibit the licensee from operating later than 2

 

a.m. as allowed under subsection (7).

 

     (4) Not more than 1 license shall be issued under subsection

 

(1) to any individual, partnership, limited partnership, limited


 

liability company, corporation, or any combination of any of the

 

above, including stockholders, general partners, or limited

 

partners. A license issued under this section is transferable as to

 

ownership or location only within the entertainment zone or other

 

designated area.

 

     (5) The commission shall not issue a specially designated

 

merchant license, specially designated distributor license, or any

 

other license that allows the sale of alcoholic liquor for

 

consumption off the premises in conjunction with a license issued

 

under subsection (1) or at the premises for which a license has

 

been issued under subsection (1).

 

     (6) The commission shall not issue to an establishment

 

licensed pursuant to this section a topless activity permit under

 

section 916.

 

     (7) Notwithstanding sections 1113 and 1114, hours of operation

 

for a licensee under this section are extended to 4 a.m. Pursuant

 

to a resolution adopted by the governing body of the city, hours of

 

operation may be further extended to 5 a.m.

 

     (8) The commission shall annually report to the legislature

 

the names of the businesses issued licenses under this section and

 

their locations.

 

     (9) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "City" means a city established under either of the

 

following:

 

     (i) The home rule city act, 1909 PA 279, MCL 117.1 to 117.38.

 

     (ii) The fourth class city act, 1895 PA 215, MCL 81.1 to

 

113.20.


 

     (b) "Escrowed license" means a license for which the licensee

 

fee is current and in which the rights of the licensee in the

 

license or to the renewal of the license are still in existence and

 

are subject to renewal and activation in the manner provided for in

 

R 436.1107 of the Michigan administrative code.

 

     (c) "Readily available" means available under a standard of

 

economic feasibility, as applied to the specific circumstances of

 

the applicant, that includes but is not limited to the following:

 

     (i) The fair market value of the license, if determinable.

 

     (ii) The size and scope of the proposed operation.

 

     (iii) The existence of mandatory contractual restrictions or

 

inclusions attached to the sale of the license.

 

     Sec. 1201. (1) In addition to any and all taxes imposed by

 

law, there is imposed and levied upon and collected a specific tax

 

equal to 4% of the retail selling price of spirits. The tax shall

 

be collected by the commission at the time of sale by the

 

commission. In the case of sales to licensees, the tax shall be

 

computed on the retail selling price established by the commission

 

without allowance of discount.

 

     (2) Upon collection and except as otherwise provided for in

 

this section, the commission shall deposit the  entire  proceeds in

 

the state treasury  ,  to the credit of the general fund.

 

     (3) In the case of the sale of spirits to a licensee holding a

 

license issued to an establishment located in an entertainment zone

 

or other designated area described in section 521a, 5% of the tax

 

collected shall be appropriated from the general fund to cities

 

within which the entertainment zones are located for the purpose of


 

police and fire protection.

 

     (4)   (3)  If this section  1201  is repealed, every licensee,

 

who has on hand any spirits on the effective date of the repeal,

 

shall file a complete inventory of those spirits with the

 

commission within 20 days after the repeal. The commission shall

 

credit to such a licensee an amount equal to 4% of the retail

 

selling price of those spirits on future purchases of spirits from

 

the commission.