HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2422

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO LIQUOR.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Section 281-41, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (i) to read as follows:

     "(i)  If the licensee is a corporation, a change in ownership of any outstanding capital stock shall not be deemed a transfer of a license; provided that in the case of a change in ownership of twenty-five per cent or more of the stock or in the case of change in ownership of any number of shares of the stock that results in the transferee thereof becoming the owner of twenty-five per cent or more of the outstanding voting capital stock, the corporate licensee shall, prior to the date of the transfer, apply for and secure the approval of the transfer from the commission in writing.  If the commission finds that the proposed transferee is an unfit or improper person to hold a license in the proposed transferee's own right pursuant to section 281-45, it shall not approve the proposed transfer.  If any transfer is made without the prior approval of the commission, the commission may in its discretion revoke or suspend the license until it determines that the transferee is a fit and proper person, and if the commission finds that the transferee is not a fit and proper person, until a retransfer or new transfer of the capital stock is made to a fit and proper person pursuant to section 281-45.  In addition, the corporate licensee shall, within thirty days from the date of election of any officer or director, notify the commission in writing of the name, age, and place of residence of the officer or director[.]; provided that if the licensee is a publicly-traded company, or an entity ultimately solely owned by a publicly-traded company, the licensee shall, within thirty days from the date of election of any replacement of an officer designated as a primary decisionmaker regarding the purchase and sale of liquor, notify the commission in writing of the name, age, and place of residence of the officers.  If the commission finds the transferee, officer, or director an unfit or improper person to hold a license in the transferee's, officer's, or director's own right pursuant to section 281-45, it may in its discretion revoke the license or suspend the license until a retransfer or new transfer of the capital stock is effected to a fit or proper person pursuant to section 281-45 or until the unfit or improper transferee, officer, or director is removed or replaced by a fit and proper person pursuant to section 281-45."

     SECTION 2.  Section 281-45, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§281-45  No license issued, when.  No license shall be issued under this chapter:

     (1)  To any minor or to any person who has been convicted of a felony and not pardoned, or to any other person not deemed by the commission to be a fit and proper person to have a license; provided that the commission may grant a license under this chapter to a corporation that has been convicted of a felony where the commission finds that the corporation's officers and shareholders of twenty-five per cent or more of outstanding stock are fit and proper persons to have a license;

     (2)  To a corporation the officers and directors of which, or any of them, would be disqualified under paragraph (1) from obtaining the license individually, or a stockholder of which, owning or controlling twenty-five per cent or more of the outstanding capital stock, or to a general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, or limited liability company whose partner or member holding twenty-five per cent or more interest of which, or any of them would be disqualified under paragraph (1) from obtaining the license individually;

     (3)  Unless the applicant for a license or a renewal of a license, or in the case of a transfer of a license, both the transferor and the transferee, present to the issuing agency a [signed] tax clearance certificate from the [director] department of taxation and from the Internal Revenue Service showing that the applicant or the transferor and transferee do not owe the state or federal governments any delinquent taxes, penalties, or interest; or that the applicant, or in the case of a transfer of a license, the transferor or transferee, has entered into an installment plan agreement with the department of taxation and the Internal Revenue Service for the payment of delinquent taxes in installments and that the applicant is or the transferor or transferee is, in the case of a transfer of a license, complying with the installment plan agreement;

     (4)  To an applicant for a class 2, class 4 except for convenience minimarts, class 5, class 6, class 11, class 12, class 13, class 14, class 15, class 17, or class 18 license unless the applicant for issuance of a license or renewal of a license, or in the case of a transfer of a license, both the transferor and the transferee, present to the issuing agency proof of liquor liability insurance coverage in an amount of $1,000,000; or

     (5)  To any applicant who has had any liquor license revoked less than two years previous to the date of the application for any like or other license under this chapter."

     SECTION 3.  Section 281-53, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§281-53  Application; penalty for false statements.  Every application for a license or for the renewal of a license or for the transfer of a license shall be in writing, signed and, except for the renewal of a license, verified by the oath of the applicant, or in the case of a corporation or unincorporated association by the proper officer or officers thereof, or if a partnership by a general partner thereof, or if a limited liability partnership by a partner thereof, or if a limited liability company by a member thereof, made before any official authorized by law to administer oaths, and shall be addressed to the liquor commission, and set forth:

     (1)  The full name, age, and place of residence of the applicant; if a copartnership, the names, ages, and respective places of residence of all the partners; if a limited liability company, its full name and the names of all its members; if a corporation or joint-stock company, its full name and the names of its officers and directors, and the names of all stockholders owning twenty-five per cent or more of the outstanding capital stock; if a publicly-traded company, or an entity ultimately solely owned by a publicly-traded company, the names of the officers designated as the primary decisionmakers regarding the purchase and sale of liquor; and if any other association of individuals, the names, ages, and respective places of residence of its officers and the number of its members;

     (2)  A particular description of the place or premises where the proposed license is to be exercised, so that the exact location and extent thereof may be clearly and definitely determined therefrom;

     (3)  The class and kind of license applied for; and

     (4)  Any other matter or information pertinent to the subject matter which may be required by the rules of the commission.

     If any false statement is knowingly made in any application which is verified by oath, the applicant, and in the case of the application being made by a corporation, limited liability company, association, or club, the persons signing the application, shall be guilty of perjury, and shall be subject to the penalties prescribed by law for such offense.  If any false statement is knowingly made in any application which is not verified by oath, the person or persons signing the application shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as in section 281-102 provided."

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.



Report Title:

Liquor License; Liquor Commission

 

Description:

Amends liquor license application and operating procedures to allow publicly-traded companies, or entities ultimately solely owned by a publicly-traded company, to provide information for only those officers designated as primary decisionmakers regarding the purchase and sale of liquor and clarifies that the requirement of prior approval from a county liquor commission regarding a change in ownership of at least twenty-five percent of a corporation's outstanding capital stock applies only to voting stock.  Allows the applicant for a liquor license or renewal, or both the transferor and transferee in the case of a liquor license transfer, to present a tax clearance certificate from the Department of Taxation and the Internal Revenue Service evidencing that the applicant, transferor, and transferee do not owe the State or federal government any delinquent taxes, penalties, or interest.  (HB2422 HD1)

 

 

 

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