[7B via Instagram]
State Sen. Brad Hoylman announced new legislation yesterday that would allow bars and restaurants to continue offering drinks for takeout and delivery for two years after the state disaster emergency expires.
The bill would also provide community boards and local government with the power to conduct oversight that ensures an establishment is operating safely.
"If we want our favorite bars and restaurants to survive the crisis, we’ve got to help them adapt," Hoylman said in a statement. "My new legislation will allow bars and restaurants to provide beer, wine and cocktails for take-out and delivery for two years after the crisis ends, giving these establishments a much-needed lifeline while New York slowly returns to normal."
Per info via Hoylman's office:
The bill includes multiple safeguards to ensure all sales are safe and legal. It would require all alcoholic beverages to be sold in closed/sealed containers, to be accompanied by the purchase of food, and to comply with open container laws.
It would also require the State Liquor Authority (SLA) to conduct regular outreach to municipalities and community boards to solicit comment, and would allow the SLA to hold hearings to decide whether to suspend or revoke a licensee’s ability to sell alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption in response to complaints from community boards or municipalities.
The bill requires the SLA to report to the Governor and the Legislature on the implementation of the law, and to hold public hearings across the state to hear from local communities about how the law has affected them.
New York’s hospitality industry is facing enormous economic pressure from COVID-19. According to a recent report from the New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB), restaurant revenues declined by nearly 90 percent immediately after the New York on PAUSE regulations took effect.
