A bill that was introduced by Sen. Mike Delph for the Marion County Alcohol Action Coalition will be heard in the Senate Public Policy Committee this week.  

Senate Bill 566 would make numerous changes to local alcoholic beverage boards, procedures and the quota system. Project RAD does not lobby but can provide this information to our readers because of its relevance to the alcohol distribution system in Indiana.  Please read below to find out more of what SB 566 entails. 

For those wishing to attend the hearing will be on Wednesday, Feb. 20^th at 2:00 in Room 431 of the State House.     

"The Marion County Alcohol Action Coalition is comprised of neighborhood and community leaders in Marion County. As such, we see the impact of alcohol sales and distribution on our commercial nodes and neighborhood streets and are working together to improve public process and policy.   

Our Coalition's mission is to reduce the adverse impacts of liquor permits on the health, safety and well-being of our communities; to hold local and state legislators and regulators accountable to their legal and civic responsibilities; and to plan and organize effective action when necessary to affect needed reform."

Allows a local alcohol board meeting to be a continued from day to day or adjourned until a later meeting of the local board. (Current law allows a meeting to be continued from day to day or adjourned until a later meeting in the discretion of the designated representative of the commission.)  

Requires local boards to ensure that applications for permits are heard and resolved in a timely fashion.  

Changes quorum and voting requirements for local alcohol boards.  

Requires that, if a local alcohol board does not have a quorum at a meeting in which the board is to consider contested permits, the meeting must be rescheduled to include consideration of the contested permits at another board meeting.  

Provides that the population of a consolidated city is the population of the county minus excluded cities for alcoholic beverage quota requirements.  

Requires that every permit for each category of permit granted in incorporated and unincorporated areas, except for the permits issued in excluded cities, of a consolidated city must be counted as a permit subject to the quota requirements applicable to the category of permit.  

Requires the commission to count all issued beer dealer permits, regardless of whether a beer dealer permit is issued singly or in combination with a liquor permit, as a beer dealer permit subject to the quota requirements.  

Makes certain requirements for proprietors of restaurants and new restaurants apply to restaurants in incorporated areas. (Under current law, the requirements apply only to restaurants outside of the corporate limits of incorporated cities or towns.)  

Requires the commission to post information concerning a continued meeting of a local board on the commission's Internet web site.  

Requires an applicant for an alcoholic beverage permit to provide notice of a hearing concerning a new permit or transfer of a permit to certain state legislators or, if the applicant's property is located in a consolidated city, the legislative body of the city.