SB 960 — An Act amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, in licenses and regulations and liquor, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages, further providing for authority to issue liquor licenses to hotels, restaurants and clubs, for sales by liquor licensees and restrictions, for sale of malt or brewed beverages by liquor licensees, for retail dispensers' restrictions on purchases and sales, for unlawful acts relative to malt or brewed beverages and licensees and for premises to be vacated by patrons.

PRINTER'S NO.   1079

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 960
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY J. WARD, PHILLIPS-HILL, STEFANO AND YAW,
        JULY 23, 2025

     REFERRED TO LAW AND JUSTICE, JULY 23, 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      licenses and regulations and liquor, alcohol and malt and
18      brewed beverages, further providing for authority to issue
19      liquor licenses to hotels, restaurants and clubs, for sales
20      by liquor licensees and restrictions, for sale of malt or
21      brewed beverages by liquor licensees, for retail dispensers'
22      restrictions on purchases and sales, for unlawful acts
23      relative to malt or brewed beverages and licensees and for
24      premises to be vacated by patrons.
25      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
26   hereby enacts as follows:
27      Section 1.    Sections 401(a), 406(a)(4), 407(a)(1), 442(a)(1)
28   (i), 492(7) and 499(a.1)(4) of the act of April 12, 1951
29   (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, are amended to read:
 1      Section 401.   Authority to Issue Liquor Licenses to Hotels,
 2   Restaurants and Clubs.--(a)   Subject to the provisions of this
 3   act and regulations promulgated under this act, the board shall
 4   have authority to issue a retail liquor license for any premises
 5   kept or operated by a hotel, restaurant or club and specified in
 6   the license entitling the hotel, restaurant or club to purchase
 7   liquor from a Pennsylvania Liquor Store and to keep on the
 8   premises such liquor and, subject to the provisions of this act
 9   and the regulations made thereunder, to sell the same and also
10   malt or brewed beverages to guests, patrons or members for
11   consumption on the hotel, restaurant or club premises. Such
12   licensees[, other than clubs,] shall be permitted to sell malt
13   or brewed beverages for consumption off the premises where sold
14   in quantities of not more than one hundred ninety-two fluid
15   ounces in a single sale to one person as provided for in section
16   407. Such licenses shall be known as hotel liquor licenses,
17   restaurant liquor licenses and club liquor licenses,
18   respectively. No person who holds any public office that
19   involves the duty to enforce any of the penal laws of the United
20   States, this Commonwealth or of any political subdivision of
21   this Commonwealth may have any interest in a hotel or restaurant
22   liquor license. This prohibition applies to anyone with arrest
23   authority, including, but not limited to, United States
24   attorneys, State attorneys general, district attorneys, sheriffs
25   and police officers. This prohibition shall also apply to
26   magisterial district judges, judges or any other individuals who
27   can impose a criminal sentence. This prohibition does not apply
28   to members of the General Assembly, township supervisors, city
29   councilpersons, mayors without arrest authority and any other
30   public official who does not have the ability to arrest or the

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 1   ability to impose a criminal sentence. This section does not
 2   apply if the proposed premises are located outside the
 3   jurisdiction of the individual in question.
 4      * * *
 5      Section 406.    Sales by Liquor Licensees; Restrictions.--(a)
 6   * * *
 7      (4)    (i)   Hotel and restaurant liquor licensees, municipal
 8   golf course restaurant liquor licensees and privately-owned
 9   public golf course restaurant licensees which do not qualify for
10   and purchase such special permit, their servants, agents or
11   employes may sell liquor and malt or brewed beverages only after
12   seven o'clock antemeridian of any day and until two o'clock
13   antemeridian of the following day, and shall not sell after two
14   o'clock antemeridian on Sunday. No club licensee or its
15   servants, agents or employes may sell liquor or malt or brewed
16   beverages between the hours of three o'clock antemeridian and
17   seven o'clock antemeridian on any day. No public service liquor
18   licensee or its servants, agents, or employes may sell liquor or
19   malt or brewed beverages between the hours of two o'clock
20   antemeridian and seven o'clock antemeridian on any day.
21      (ii)    No club licensee or its servants, agents or employes
22   may sell malt or brewed beverages for off-premises consumption
23   between the hours of two o'clock antemeridian and seven o'clock
24   antemeridian on any day.
25      * * *
26      Section 407.    Sale of Malt or Brewed Beverages by Liquor
27   Licensees.--(a)    (1)   Every liquor license issued to a hotel,
28   restaurant, club, or a railroad, pullman or steamship company
29   under this subdivision (A) for the sale of liquor shall
30   authorize the licensee to sell malt or brewed beverages at the

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 1   same places but subject to the same restrictions and penalties
 2   as apply to sales of liquor, except that licensees [other than
 3   clubs] may sell malt or brewed beverages for consumption off the
 4   premises where sold in quantities of not more than one hundred
 5   ninety-two fluid ounces in a single sale to one person. The
 6   sales may be made in either open or closed containers, Provided,
 7   however, That a municipality may adopt an ordinance restricting
 8   open containers in public places. No licensee under this
 9   subdivision (A) shall at the same time be the holder of any
10   other class of license, except a retail dispenser's license
11   authorizing the sale of malt or brewed beverages only. Sales of
12   malt or brewed beverages must occur on the licensed premises.
13      * * *
14      Section 442.   Retail Dispensers' Restrictions on Purchases
15   and Sales.--(a)   (1)   (i)   No retail dispenser shall purchase or
16   receive any malt or brewed beverages except in original
17   containers as prepared for the market by the manufacturer at the
18   place of manufacture. The retail dispenser may thereafter break
19   the bulk upon the licensed premises and sell or dispense the
20   same for consumption on or off the premises so licensed. No
21   retail dispenser may sell malt or brewed beverages for
22   consumption off the premises in quantities in excess of one
23   hundred ninety-two fluid ounces. Sales may be made in open or
24   closed containers, Provided, however, That a municipality may
25   adopt an ordinance restricting open containers in public places.
26   No club licensee may sell any malt or brewed beverages for
27   consumption off the premises [where sold or] to persons not
28   members of the club. Sales of malt or brewed beverages must
29   occur on the licensed premises.
30      * * *

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 1      Section 492.    Unlawful Acts Relative to Malt or Brewed
 2   Beverages and Licensees.--
 3      It shall be unlawful--
 4      * * *
 5      (7)    (i)   Clubs Selling Between Three O'Clock Antemeridian
 6   and Seven O'Clock Antemeridian. For any club retail dispenser,
 7   or its servants, agents or employes, to sell malt or brewed
 8   beverages between the hours of three o'clock antemeridian and
 9   seven o'clock antemeridian on any day.
10      (ii)    Clubs Selling Malt or Brewed Beverages for Off-Premises
11   Consumption between Two O'Clock Antemeridian and Seven O'Clock
12   Antemeridian. For any club retail dispenser or its servants,
13   agents or employes, to sell malt or brewed beverages for off-
14   premises consumption between the hours of two o'clock
15   antemeridian and seven o'clock antemeridian on any day.
16      * * *
17      Section 499.    Premises to be Vacated by Patrons.--* * *
18      (a.1)    Subsection (a) shall not apply to sales of malt and
19   brewed beverages for consumption off the premises when the
20   following conditions are met:
21      * * *
22      (4)    no club licensee may sell any malt or brewed beverage
23   for consumption off the premises [where sold or] to any persons
24   who are not members of the club.
25      * * *
26      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 30 days.




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