Alcoholic beverage tied-house restrictions: exceptions: County of Riverside.

(1) Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which is administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application, issuance, and suspension of alcoholic beverage licenses. Existing law, known as tied-house restrictions, generally prohibits specified licensees, or their officers, directors, or agents, from giving or lending money or a thing of value to a person operating, owning, or maintaining any on-sale premises where alcoholic beverages are sold. In this regard, existing law specifically prohibits paying a retailer for advertising. Existing law creates a variety of exceptions to this prohibition, including permitting specified licensees to purchase advertising space and time from, or on behalf of, an on-sale retail licensee that is an owner, manager, agent or assignee of the owner, or major tenant of certain venues, subject to specified conditions. Existing law requires the purchase of advertising space or time, in this context, to be conducted pursuant to a written contract and, in certain instances, specifically authorizes a contract to be made with the owner, a long-term tenant of the complex, or a licensee of the complex, whether or not the owner, long-term tenant, or licensee holds an on-sale license. In this context, existing law makes certain acts of coercion crimes, including when an on-sale licensee coerces other specified licensees to purchase advertising space or time. This bill would expand the above-described exception to tied-house restrictions that allows for the purchase of advertising by applying it to a fully enclosed arena with a fixed seating capacity in excess of 10,000 seats located in the County of Riverside. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would make conforming changes in the above-described provisions relating to written contracts, and the parties with whom these contracts may be made, to apply them to this arena. (2) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Riverside. (3) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 25503.6 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 98 and SB 1280 to be operative only if this bill and AB 98 or SB 1280, or all 3 bills, are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.