Washington Code 66.24.655 – Theater license — Spirits, beer, strong beer, and wine
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(1)(a) There is a theater license to sell spirits, beer, including strong beer, or wine, or all, at retail, for consumption on theater premises. A spirits, beer, and wine theater license may be issued only to theaters that have no more than one hundred twenty seats per screen and that are maintained in a substantial manner as a place for preparing, cooking, and serving complete meals and providing tabletop accommodations for in-theater dining. Requirements for complete meals are the same as those adopted by the board in rules pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW for a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license authorized by RCW 66.24.400. The annual fee for a spirits, beer, and wine theater license is $1,000.
Terms Used In Washington Code 66.24.655
- Beer: means any malt beverage, flavored malt beverage, or malt liquor as these terms are defined in this chapter. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- Board: means the liquor and cannabis board, constituted under this title. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- Employee: means any person employed by the board. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- Importer: means a person who buys distilled spirits from a distillery outside the state of Washington and imports such spirituous liquor into the state for sale to the board or for export. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- Manufacturer: means a person engaged in the preparation of liquor for sale, in any form whatsoever. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- Person: means an individual, copartnership, association, or corporation. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- Restaurant: means any establishment provided with special space and accommodations where, in consideration of payment, food, without lodgings, is habitually furnished to the public, not including drug stores and soda fountains. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- sell: include exchange, barter, and traffic; and also include the selling or supplying or distributing, by any means whatsoever, of liquor, or of any liquid known or described as beer or by any name whatever commonly used to describe malt or brewed liquor or of wine, by any person to any person; and also include a sale or selling within the state to a foreign consignee or his or her agent in the state. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- Spirits: means any beverage which contains alcohol obtained by distillation, except flavored malt beverages, but including wines exceeding twenty-four percent of alcohol by volume. See Washington Code 66.04.010
- Wine: means any alcoholic beverage obtained by fermentation of fruits (grapes, berries, apples, et cetera) or other agricultural product containing sugar, to which any saccharine substances may have been added before, during or after fermentation, and containing not more than twenty-four percent of alcohol by volume, including sweet wines fortified with wine spirits, such as port, sherry, muscatel, and angelica, not exceeding twenty-four percent of alcohol by volume and not less than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume. See Washington Code 66.04.010
(b) The annual fee in (a) of this subsection is waived during the 12-month period beginning with the second calendar month after February 28, 2021, for:
(i) Licenses that expire during the 12-month waiver period under this subsection (1)(b); and
(ii) Licenses issued to persons previously licensed under this section at any time during the 12-month period prior to the 12-month waiver period under this subsection (1)(b).
(c) The waiver in (b) of this subsection does not apply to any licensee that:
(i) Had their license suspended by the board for health and safety violations of state COVID-19 guidelines; or
(ii) Received an order of immediate restraint or citation from the department of labor and industries for allowing an employee to perform work where business activity was prohibited in violation of an emergency proclamation of the governor under RCW 43.06.220.
(d) Upon request of the department of revenue, the board and the department of labor and industries must both provide a list of persons that they have determined to be ineligible for a fee waiver under (b) of this subsection for the reasons described in (c) of this subsection. Unless otherwise agreed, any list must be received by the department of revenue no later than 15 calendar days after the request is made.
(2) If the theater premises is to be frequented by minors, an alcohol control plan must be submitted to the board at the time of application. The alcohol control plan must be approved by the board and be prominently posted on the premises, prior to minors being allowed.
(3) For the purposes of this section:
(a) “Alcohol control plan” means a written, dated, and signed plan submitted to the board by an applicant or licensee for the entire theater premises, or rooms or areas therein, that shows where and when alcohol is permitted, where and when minors are permitted, and the control measures used to ensure that minors are not able to obtain alcohol or be exposed to environments where drinking alcohol predominates.
(b) “Theater” means a place of business where motion pictures or other primarily nonparticipatory entertainment are shown.
(4) The board must adopt rules regarding alcohol control plans and necessary control measures to ensure that minors are not able to obtain alcohol or be exposed to areas where drinking alcohol predominates. All alcohol control plans must include a requirement that any person involved in the serving of spirits, beer, and/or wine must have completed a mandatory alcohol server training program.
(5)(a) A licensee that is an entity that is exempt from taxation under Title 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, as amended as of January 1, 2013, may enter into arrangements with a spirits, beer, or wine manufacturer, importer, or distributor for brand advertising at the theater or promotion of events held at the theater. The financial arrangements providing for the brand advertising or promotion of events may not be used as an inducement to purchase the products of the manufacturer, importer, or distributor entering into the arrangement and such arrangements may not result in the exclusion of brands or products of other companies.
(b) The arrangements allowed under this subsection (5) are an exception to arrangements prohibited under RCW 66.28.305. The board must monitor the impacts of these arrangements. The board may conduct audits of a licensee and the affiliated business to determine compliance with this subsection (5). Audits may include, but are not limited to: Product selection at the facility; purchase patterns of the licensee; contracts with the spirits, beer, or wine manufacturer, importer, or distributor; and the amount allocated or used for spirits, beer, or wine advertising by the licensee, affiliated business, manufacturer, importer, or distributor under the arrangements.
(6) The maximum penalties prescribed by the board in WAC 314-29-020 relating to fines and suspensions are double for violations involving minors or the failure to follow the alcohol control plan with respect to theaters licensed under this section.
NOTES:
Expiration date—2022 c 116 §§ 2-20: See note following RCW 66.24.420.
Effective date—Finding—Intent—2022 c 116: See notes following RCW 66.24.420.
Effective date—2021 c 6: See note following RCW 66.24.140.
Theater license—Spirits, beer, strong beer, and wine. (Effective December 31, 2023.)
(1)(a) There is a theater license to sell spirits, beer, including strong beer, or wine, or all, at retail, for consumption on theater premises. A spirits, beer, and wine theater license may be issued only to theaters that have no more than one hundred twenty seats per screen and that are maintained in a substantial manner as a place for preparing, cooking, and serving complete meals and providing tabletop accommodations for in-theater dining. Requirements for complete meals are the same as those adopted by the board in rules pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW for a spirits, beer, and wine restaurant license authorized by RCW 66.24.400. The annual fee for a spirits, beer, and wine theater license is two thousand dollars.
(b) The annual fee in (a) of this subsection is waived during the 12-month period beginning with the second calendar month after February 28, 2021, for:
(i) Licenses that expire during the 12-month waiver period under this subsection (1)(b); and
(ii) Licenses issued to persons previously licensed under this section at any time during the 12-month period prior to the 12-month waiver period under this subsection (1)(b).
(c) The waiver in (b) of this subsection does not apply to any licensee that:
(i) Had their license suspended by the board for health and safety violations of state COVID-19 guidelines; or
(ii) Received an order of immediate restraint or citation from the department of labor and industries for allowing an employee to perform work where business activity was prohibited in violation of an emergency proclamation of the governor under RCW 43.06.220.
(d) Upon request of the department of revenue, the board and the department of labor and industries must both provide a list of persons that they have determined to be ineligible for a fee waiver under (b) of this subsection for the reasons described in (c) of this subsection. Unless otherwise agreed, any list must be received by the department of revenue no later than 15 calendar days after the request is made.
(2) If the theater premises is to be frequented by minors, an alcohol control plan must be submitted to the board at the time of application. The alcohol control plan must be approved by the board and be prominently posted on the premises, prior to minors being allowed.
(3) For the purposes of this section:
(a) “Alcohol control plan” means a written, dated, and signed plan submitted to the board by an applicant or licensee for the entire theater premises, or rooms or areas therein, that shows where and when alcohol is permitted, where and when minors are permitted, and the control measures used to ensure that minors are not able to obtain alcohol or be exposed to environments where drinking alcohol predominates.
(b) “Theater” means a place of business where motion pictures or other primarily nonparticipatory entertainment are shown.
(4) The board must adopt rules regarding alcohol control plans and necessary control measures to ensure that minors are not able to obtain alcohol or be exposed to areas where drinking alcohol predominates. All alcohol control plans must include a requirement that any person involved in the serving of spirits, beer, and/or wine must have completed a mandatory alcohol server training program.
(5)(a) A licensee that is an entity that is exempt from taxation under Title 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, as amended as of January 1, 2013, may enter into arrangements with a spirits, beer, or wine manufacturer, importer, or distributor for brand advertising at the theater or promotion of events held at the theater. The financial arrangements providing for the brand advertising or promotion of events may not be used as an inducement to purchase the products of the manufacturer, importer, or distributor entering into the arrangement and such arrangements may not result in the exclusion of brands or products of other companies.
(b) The arrangements allowed under this subsection (5) are an exception to arrangements prohibited under RCW 66.28.305. The board must monitor the impacts of these arrangements. The board may conduct audits of a licensee and the affiliated business to determine compliance with this subsection (5). Audits may include, but are not limited to: Product selection at the facility; purchase patterns of the licensee; contracts with the spirits, beer, or wine manufacturer, importer, or distributor; and the amount allocated or used for spirits, beer, or wine advertising by the licensee, affiliated business, manufacturer, importer, or distributor under the arrangements.
(6) The maximum penalties prescribed by the board in WAC 314-29-020 relating to fines and suspensions are double for violations involving minors or the failure to follow the alcohol control plan with respect to theaters licensed under this section.
NOTES:
Effective date—2021 c 6: See note following RCW 66.24.140.