New Jersey A 1800: Creates nine-member "New Jersey Casino Oversight Consolidation Commission."

Bill Text

A1800 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1800 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Stanley and Assemblywoman Dunn

SYNOPSIS

���� Allows small private theater used for musical or 
theatrical performances to acquire alcoholic beverage retail license.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act concerning alcoholic beverages and supplementing Title 
33 of the Revised Statutes.� 

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a.� As used in this 
section, �licensed premises� shall include the premises where musical or 
theatrical performances or concerts are held and any adjacent premises owned 
and operated by the licensee.

���� b.� It shall be lawful for the 
governing board or body of a municipality, upon the approval of the Director of 
the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, to issue a plenary retail 
consumption license to a private theater entity that is incorporated on the 
effective date of this act, which regularly conducts a majority of live musical 
or theatrical performances or concerts for which admission is charged. 

���� c.� A license issued pursuant 
to this section shall be used in connection with a premises with a seating 
capacity of less than 400 persons and that is used primarily to conduct live 
musical or theatrical performances or concerts. The license shall a private 
entity, including a corporation, or its restaurant operator who has been 
approved pursuant to procedures established by the Division of Alcoholic 
Beverage Control to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed 
premises.

���� d.� A license issued under the 
provisions of this act shall not be counted in determining the number of 
licenses under P.L.1947, c.94 (C.33:1-12.13 et seq.) or under P.L.1968, c.277 
(C.40:48-2.40 et seq.).

���� 2.��� This act shall take 
effect immediately.� 

STATEMENT

���� 

���� This bill allows the governing body of a municipality, upon the 
approval of the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), 
to issue a plenary retail consumption license for use in connection with a 
private theater entity that conducts a majority of live musical or theatrical 
performances or concerts.� 

���� Under current law, municipalities 
are authorized to issue a special plenary retail consumption license, known as 
a �theater license,� to a nonprofit corporation which conducts musical or 
theatrical performances or concerts on the premises if there is a seating 
capacity of 1,000 persons or more. The holder of this special license may only 
serve alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed premises during the 
performance, as well as two hours before and two hours after the performance.

���� This bill specifically 
authorizes a municipality to issue a plenary retail consumption license to a private 
entity that operates a small theater with a seating capacity of less than 400 
persons which regularly conducts musical or theatrical performances or concerts 
for which admission is charged.� The license would authorize a private entity, 
including a corporation, or its restaurant operator who has been approved 
pursuant to procedures established by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage 
Control to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed premises.

���� Under 
current law, a municipality may issue one plenary retail consumption license 
for each 3,000 of its population.� This restriction would not apply to the 
holder of a plenary retail consumption license used in connection a small 
theater in accordance with the bill�s provisions.