BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 461
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 8, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    AB 461 (Achadjian) - As Amended:  May 1, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Governmental  
          Organization Vote:                            17 - 0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill authorizes the Department of Alcoholic Beverage  
          Control (ABC) to issue five new original on-sale general  
          licenses to San Luis Obispo County between January 1, 2014 and  
          December 31, 2016, for restaurants with a seating capacity for  
          50 or more diners.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Any additional licensing and oversight costs for ABC associated  
          with this legislation will be minor and absorbable.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . In 2012, ABC issued additional liquor licenses to  
            counties with satisfactory population growth verified by the  
            Department of Finance (DOF).  San Luis Obispo County was not  
            eligible for additional liquor licenses based on the set  
            criteria. According to the author, while the county could not  
            show satisfactory proof of population growth, the number of  
            businesses unable to obtain a license each year demonstrates  
            the County's need for additional liquor licenses.

            The author's office states, San Luis Obispo County is  
            comprised of communities scattered along the beaches and  
            mountains of the Central Coast.  With such a diverse  
            geography, many tourists make their way to the county for its  
            various attractions.  In conjunction with the growing wine and  
            tourism industry, San Luis Obispo County has a flourishing  
            restaurant scene, which requires the additional liquor  
            licenses.  








                                                                  AB 461
                                                                  Page  2


           2)Related Legislation  . AB 1320 (Allen), Chapter 467, Statutes of  
            2012, authorized ABC to issue a maximum of 15 new original  
            on-sale general licenses, over a three-year period, for bona  
            fide public eating places in the County of Marin.

            AB 2266 (Evans), Chapter 130, Statutes of 2008, authorized ABC  
            to issue a maximum of 15 new original on-sale general  
            licenses, over a three-year period, for bona fide public  
            eating places in the County of Napa.

            SB 762 (Cox), Chapter 193, Statutes of 2007, allowed ABC to  
            issue 10 new original on-sale general licenses for bona fide  
            public eating places in the County of Mono.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081