SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2825

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  APRIL 11, 2024

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 2825.

      This bill removes from current law a time limitation imposed on municipalities to issue special alcoholic beverage consumption licenses for use in a project area located in a former federal military installation.

      Under current law, a municipality may issue one plenary retail consumption license (for bars and restaurants) for each 3,000 of its population.  However, P.L.2018, c.101 was enacted to allow the issuance of additional alcoholic beverage licenses in a project area within the borders of three municipalities and at which a federally owned or operated military installation is closed and transferred to a government entity for the purpose of conversion, redevelopment, or revitalization.  The special licenses allow the license holder to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed premises.

      P.L.2018, c.101 specifically applied to the Fort Monmouth redevelopment area.  Municipalities located within the Fort Monmouth redevelopment area were entitled to issue these special licenses within three years of the effective date of P.L.2018, c.101.  Following the three-year period, a municipality that had not issued a license would have up to two years to transfer the license, for a fee, to another municipality located within the redevelopment area.  This bill removes from P.L.2018, c.101 the five-year limitation and grants municipalities more time to issue or transfer these licenses for use within the redevelopment area.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.