HB 1455 — An Act amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; and, in licenses and regulations relating to liquor, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages, further providing for applications for hotel, restaurant and club liquor licenses, for issuance, transfer or extension of hotel, restaurant and club liquor licenses, for license fees, for sale of malt or brewed beverages by liquor licensees and for malt and brewed beverages manufacturers', distributors' and importing distributors' licenses.

PRINTER'S NO.   1706

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1455
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY MAJOR AND SMITH, MAY 13, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LIQUOR CONTROL, MAY 13, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled "An
 2      act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and malt and
 3      brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating and
 4      changing the laws relating thereto; regulating and
 5      restricting the manufacture, purchase, sale, possession,
 6      consumption, importation, transportation, furnishing, holding
 7      in bond, holding in storage, traffic in and use of alcoholic
 8      liquors, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages and the
 9      persons engaged or employed therein; defining the powers and
10      duties of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; providing
11      for the establishment and operation of State liquor stores,
12      for the payment of certain license fees to the respective
13      municipalities and townships, for the abatement of certain
14      nuisances and, in certain cases, for search and seizure
15      without warrant; prescribing penalties and forfeitures;
16      providing for local option, and repealing existing laws," in
17      preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions;
18      and, in licenses and regulations relating to liquor, alcohol
19      and malt and brewed beverages, further providing for
20      applications for hotel, restaurant and club liquor licenses,
21      for issuance, transfer or extension of hotel, restaurant and
22      club liquor licenses, for license fees, for sale of malt or
23      brewed beverages by liquor licensees and for malt and brewed
24      beverages manufacturers', distributors' and importing
25      distributors' licenses.
26      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
27   hereby enacts as follows:
28      Section 1.    Section 102 of the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90,
29   No.21), known as the Liquor Code, is amended by adding a
30   definition to read:
 1      Section 102.   Definitions.--The following words or phrases,
 2   unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, shall have the
 3   meanings ascribed to them in this section:
 4      * * *
 5      "Convenience store" shall mean a business that sells gasoline
 6   products in conjunction with a store that sells a range of
 7   everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods,
 8   confectionery, soft drinks, tobacco products, over-the-counter
 9   drugs, toiletries, newspapers, magazines and other consumer
10   products to customers.
11      * * *
12      Section 2.   Sections 403 heading and (a) and 404 heading and
13   (a) of the act are amended to read:
14      Section 403.   Applications for Hotel, Restaurant [and], Club
15   Liquor and Convenience Store Licenses.--(a)   Every applicant for
16   a hotel liquor license, restaurant liquor license [or], club
17   liquor or convenience store license or for the transfer of an
18   existing license to another premises not then licensed or to
19   another person shall file a written application with the board
20   in such form and containing such information as the board shall
21   from time to time prescribe, which shall be accompanied by a
22   filing fee and an annual license fee as prescribed in section
23   614-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as
24   "The Administrative Code of 1929." Every such application shall
25   contain a description of that part of the hotel, restaurant
26   [or], club or convenience store for which the applicant desires
27   a license and shall set forth such other material information,
28   description or plan of that part of the hotel, restaurant [or],
29   club or convenience store where it is proposed to keep and sell
30   liquor as may be required by the regulations of the board. The

20250HB1455PN1706                  - 2 -
 1   descriptions, information and plans referred to in this
 2   subsection shall show the hotel, restaurant, club, convenience
 3   store or the proposed location for the construction of a hotel,
 4   restaurant [or], club or convenience store, at the time the
 5   application is made, and shall show any alterations proposed to
 6   be made thereto, or the new building proposed to be constructed
 7   after the approval by the board of the application for a license
 8   or for the transfer of an existing license to another premises
 9   not then licensed or to another person. No physical alterations,
10   improvements or changes shall be required to be made to any
11   hotel, restaurant [or], club or convenience store, nor shall any
12   new building for any such purpose, be required to be constructed
13   until approval of the application for license or for the
14   transfer of an existing license to another premises not then
15   licensed or to another person by the board. After approval of
16   the application, the licensee shall make the physical
17   alterations, improvements and changes to the licensed premises,
18   or shall construct the new building in the manner specified by
19   the board at the time of approval, and the licensee shall not
20   transact any business under the license until the board has
21   approved the completed physical alterations, improvements and
22   changes to the licensed premises, or the completed construction
23   of the new building as conforming to the specifications required
24   by the board at the time of issuance or transfer of the license,
25   and is satisfied that the establishment is a restaurant, hotel
26   [or], club or convenience store as defined by this act. The
27   board may require that all such alterations or construction or
28   conformity to definition be completed within six months from the
29   time of issuance or transfer of the license. The time between
30   the approval of the initial application and issuance of

20250HB1455PN1706                 - 3 -
 1   operating authority to the licensee shall be considered as time
 2   in safekeeping. Failure to comply with these requirements shall
 3   be considered cause for revocation of the license. No such
 4   license shall be transferable between the time of issuance or
 5   transfer of the license and the approval of the completed
 6   alterations or construction by the board and full compliance by
 7   the licensee with the requirements of this act, unless the
 8   transfer application is accompanied by a surcharge. The
 9   surcharge shall be fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) if the
10   license is located in a county of the first through third class.
11   The surcharge shall be five thousand dollars ($5,000) if the
12   license is located in a county of the fourth through eighth
13   class.
14      * * *
15      Section 404.    Issuance, Transfer or Extension of Hotel,
16   Restaurant [and], Club Liquor and Convenience Store Liquor
17   Licenses.--(a)    Upon receipt of the application and the proper
18   fees, and upon being satisfied of the truth of the statements in
19   the application that the applicant and management company or
20   companies, if any, are the only persons in any manner
21   pecuniarily interested in the business so asked to be licensed
22   and that no other person will be in any manner pecuniarily
23   interested therein during the continuance of the license, except
24   as hereinafter permitted, and that the applicant is a person of
25   good repute, that the premises applied for meet all the
26   requirements of this act and the regulations of the board, that
27   the applicant seeks a license for a hotel, restaurant [or], club
28   or convenience store, as defined in this act, and that the
29   issuance of such license is not prohibited by any of the
30   provisions of this act, the board shall, in the case of a hotel

20250HB1455PN1706                   - 4 -
 1   [or], restaurant or convenience store, grant and issue to the
 2   applicant a liquor license, and in the case of a club may, in
 3   its discretion, issue or refuse a license: Provided, however,
 4   That in the case of any new license or the transfer of any
 5   license to a new location or the extension of an existing
 6   license to cover an additional area the board may, in its
 7   discretion, grant or refuse such new license, transfer or
 8   extension if such place proposed to be licensed is within three
 9   hundred feet of any church, hospital, charitable institution,
10   school, or public playground, or if such new license, transfer
11   or extension is applied for a place which is within two hundred
12   feet of any other premises which is licensed by the board: And
13   provided further, That the board's authority to refuse to grant
14   a license because of its proximity to a church, hospital,
15   charitable institution, public playground or other licensed
16   premises shall not be applicable to license applications
17   submitted for public venues [or], performing arts facilities[:]
18   or convenience stores: And provided further, That the board's
19   authority to refuse to grant a license because of its proximity
20   to any other licensed premises shall not be applicable to
21   license applications submitted for a convenience store liquor
22   license: And provided further, That the board shall refuse any
23   application for a new license, the transfer of any license to a
24   new location or the extension of an existing license to cover an
25   additional area if, in the board's opinion, such new license,
26   transfer or extension would be detrimental to the welfare,
27   health, peace and morals of the inhabitants of the neighborhood
28   within a radius of five hundred feet of the place proposed to be
29   licensed: And provided further, That the board shall have the
30   discretion to refuse a license to any person or to any

20250HB1455PN1706                 - 5 -
 1   corporation, partnership or association if such person, or any
 2   officer or director of such corporation, or any member or
 3   partner of such partnership or association shall have been
 4   convicted or found guilty of a felony within a period of five
 5   years immediately preceding the date of application for the said
 6   license. The board may enter into an agreement with the
 7   applicant concerning additional restrictions on the license in
 8   question. If the board and the applicant enter into such an
 9   agreement, such agreement shall be binding on the applicant.
10   Failure by the applicant to adhere to the agreement will be
11   sufficient cause to form the basis for a citation under section
12   471 and for the nonrenewal of the license under section 470. If
13   the board enters into an agreement with an applicant concerning
14   additional restrictions, those restrictions shall be binding on
15   subsequent holders of the license until the license is
16   transferred to a new location or until the board enters into a
17   subsequent agreement removing those restrictions. If the
18   application in question involves a location previously licensed
19   by the board, then any restrictions imposed by the board on the
20   previous license at that location shall be binding on the
21   applicant unless the board enters into a new agreement
22   rescinding those restrictions. The board may, in its discretion,
23   refuse an application for an economic development license under
24   section 461(b.1) or an application for an intermunicipal
25   transfer of a license if the board receives a protest from the
26   governing body of the receiving municipality. The receiving
27   municipality of an intermunicipal transfer or an economic
28   development license under section 461(b.1) may file a protest
29   against the transfer of a license into its municipality, and the
30   receiving municipality shall have standing in a hearing to

20250HB1455PN1706                 - 6 -
 1   present testimony in support of or against the issuance or
 2   transfer of a license. Upon any opening in any quota, an
 3   application for a new license shall only be filed with the board
 4   for a period of six months following said opening.
 5      * * *
 6      Section 3.    Sections 405, 407 and 431 of the act are amended
 7   by adding subsections to read:
 8      Section 405.     License Fees.--* * *
 9      (b.1)   License fees for a convenience store liquor license
10   shall be graduated according to the population of the
11   municipality as determined by the last preceding decennial
12   census of the United States in which the convenience store is
13   located, as prescribed under section 614-A of the act of April
14   9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as "The Administrative Code of
15   1929."
16      (b.2)   Every applicant for a convenience store liquor license
17   shall pay to the board a one-time license fee of two thousand
18   five hundred dollars ($2,500) with an annual renewal fee of
19   seven hundred fifty dollars ($750).
20      * * *
21      Section 407.     Sale of Malt or Brewed Beverages by Liquor
22   Licensees.--* * *
23      (a.1)   (1)   Every liquor license issued to a convenience
24   store under this subdivision (A) for the sale of beer shall
25   authorize the licensee to sell malt or brewed beverages at the
26   same places but subject to the same restrictions and penalties
27   as apply to sales of liquor. Convenience store licensees are
28   authorized to sell malt or brewed beverages for consumption off
29   the premises and sold in quantities of not more than one hundred
30   ninety-two fluid ounces in a single sale to one person. The

20250HB1455PN1706                    - 7 -
 1   sales shall be made in closed containers.
 2      (2)    If a convenience store liquor license holder has an
 3   interior connection to another business that it operates, the
 4   convenience store liquor license holder may use one or more of
 5   the registers in the other business to sell malt or brewed
 6   beverages for off-premises consumption under the following
 7   conditions:
 8      (i)    the building is eleven thousand square feet or less;
 9      (ii)    the registers are located in the same building as the
10   licensed premises;
11      (iii)    the registers comply with the signage, staffing,
12   training, carding, scanning and prohibition on the sharing of
13   data provisions of section 415(a)(8) and (9); and
14      (iv)    the board has been provided notice of compliance with
15   this paragraph by the convenience store liquor license holder,
16   including square footage of the building and the location of the
17   specific registers to be used prior to their use.
18      (3)    The registers used under paragraph (2) shall be deemed
19   to be licensed areas but no formal application beyond notice to
20   the board shall be required.
21      * * *
22      Section 431.    Malt and Brewed Beverages Manufacturers',
23   Distributors' and Importing Distributors' Licenses.--* * *
24      (b.2)    The board shall issue to any reputable person who
25   applies therefor, and pays the license fee hereinafter
26   prescribed, a convenience store liquor license for the place
27   which such person desires to maintain for the sale of malt or
28   brewed beverages, not for consumption on the premises where
29   sold, and in quantities of not more than one hundred ninety-two
30   fluid ounces in a single sale to one person. The board shall

20250HB1455PN1706                   - 8 -
 1   have the discretion to refuse a license to any person or to any
 2   corporation, partnership or association if such person, or any
 3   officer or director of such corporation, or any member or
 4   partner of such partnership or association shall have been
 5   convicted or found guilty of a felony within a period of five
 6   years immediately preceding the date of application for the said
 7   license: And provided further, That, in the case of any new
 8   license or the transfer of any license to a new location, the
 9   board may, in its discretion, grant or refuse such new license
10   or transfer if such place proposed to be licensed is within
11   three hundred feet of any church, hospital, charitable
12   institution, school or public playground: And provided further,
13   That the board shall refuse any application for a new license or
14   the transfer of any license to a new location if, in the board's
15   opinion, such new license or transfer would be detrimental to
16   the welfare, health, peace and morals of the inhabitants of the
17   neighborhood within a radius of five hundred feet of the place
18   proposed to be licensed. If the application in question involves
19   a location previously licensed by the board, then any
20   restrictions imposed by the board on the previous license at
21   that location shall be binding on the applicant unless the board
22   enters into a new agreement rescinding those restrictions. The
23   board shall require notice to be posted on the property or
24   premises upon which the licensee or proposed licensee will
25   engage in sales of malt or brewed beverages. This notice shall
26   be similar to the notice required of hotel, restaurant and club
27   liquor licensees.
28      Except as hereinafter provided, such convenience store liquor
29   license shall authorize the holder thereof to sell or deliver
30   malt or brewed beverages in quantities not more than one hundred

20250HB1455PN1706                 - 9 -
1   ninety-two fluid ounces in a single sale to one person anywhere
2   within this Commonwealth, which have been purchased from
3   manufacturers or persons outside this Commonwealth engaged in
4   the legal sale of malt or brewed beverages or from manufacturers
5   or importing distributors licensed under this article.
6      * * *
7      Section 4.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250HB1455PN1706                 - 10 -