5675972 Public Hearing (Revised) on B21-196, Nightlife Regulation Amendment Act of 2015, B21-253, Alcoholic Beverage Enforcement Amendment Act of 2015, B21-401, Omnibus Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Amendment Act of 2015, PR21-304, Reimbursable ...
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Council of the District of Columbia
Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs,
Notice of a Public Hearing
John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 119 Washington, DC 20004
Revised
Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr., Chair
Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs
Announces a Public Hearing
on
· B21-196, the “Nightlife Regulation Amendment Act of 2015”
· B21-253, the “Alcoholic Beverage Enforcement Amendment Act of 2015”
· B21-401, the “Omnibus Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Amendment Act of 2015”
· PR21-304, the “Reimbursable Details Subsidy Program Resolution of 2015”
· PR21-309, the “ABRA Procedural Amendment Approval Resolution of 2015”
Monday, October 26, 2015, 10:00 A.M.
John A. Wilson Building, Room 412
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20004
Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr., announces the scheduling of a public hearing by the Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs, on B21-196, the “Nightlife Regulation Amendment Act of 2015”. The public hearing is scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20004. This notice is being revised to include the following measures: “B21-253, the “Alcoholic Beverage Enforcement Amendment Act of 2015”, B21-401, the “Omnibus Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Amendment Act of 2015”, PR21-304, the “Reimbursable Details Subsidy Program Resolution of 2015”, and PR21-309, the “ABRA Procedural Amendment Approval Resolution of 2015”.
B21-196, the “Nightlife Regulation Amendment Act of 2015”, as introduced, would require establishments holding C/R, C/N, C/T and D/R, D/N, D/T liquor licenses to measure the noise levels coming from their establishments with a decibel meter approved by the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (“ABRA”) every day they are open from the hours of 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. in order to ensure that these establishments are conforming to the District’s noise restrictions. The bill will require establishments to report their actual noise readings to ABRA on a weekly basis. The Committee previously had a hearing on this measure on July 9, 2015.
After receiving feedback from residents and establishments alike, the Committee worked with ABRA and substantially revised B21-196. The purpose of this hearing is to get testimony on the revised version of B21-196. The modified version of B21-196, would establish a new plainly audible noise standard with specific measurement requirements for on-premises licensed retailers. An ABRA investigator would be able to verify a noise violation without entering a residence. The bill would provide noise protections for commercial areas; in addition, to preserving noise protections for residential areas. This revised bill would prohibit entertainment or the playing of recorded music on an unenclosed outdoor summer garden or sidewalk café after midnight during any day of the week.
B21-253, the “Alcoholic Beverage Enforcement Amendment Act of 2015”, would require taverns with an entertainment endorsement to have a security plan, clarify the process for licensee's failure to renew their licenses, to strengthen the law regarding licensees who exceed their Board approved capacity, permit pub crawl organizers to participate in the reimbursable detail program, create a primary tier violation for tampering with alcoholic beverage containers, and prohibit the possession, use and sale of powdered alcohol products.
B21-401, the “Omnibus Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Amendment Act of 2015”, would create a Farmer’s Market license, clarify penalties for restaurants and hotels regarding the maintenance of their books and records, and strengthen penalties regarding ABC managers who sell alcoholic beverages to minors. The bill would allow manufacturers to obtain an entertainment endorsement, and a sidewalk café or summer garden endorsement. In addition, manufacturers will be able to expand the legal hours for their on-site sales permit and for their tasting permits.
PR21-304, the “Reimbursable Details Subsidy Program Resolution of 2015”, would approve rules to modify the current terms of the MPD Reimbursable Detail Subsidy Program. The percentage of distribution of subsidies paid by ABRA to MPD would increase from fifty percent to seventy percent when covering the costs incurred by ABC licensees for MPD officers working reimbursable details.
PR21-309, the “ABRA Procedural Amendment Approval Resolution of 2015”, would reorganize Chapter 16 of Title 23 of the DCMR to provide more clarity to the public hearing protest process.
Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to testify at the public hearing are asked to contact Faye Caldwell of the Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs at (202) 727-6683 or by email at fcaldwell@dccouncil.us and provide their name(s), address, telephone number, email address and organizational affiliation, if any, by close of business Friday, October 23, 2015. Each witness is requested to bring 20 copies of his/her written testimony. Representatives of organizations and government agencies will be limited to 5 minutes in order to permit each witness an opportunity to be heard. Individual witnesses will be limited to 3 minutes.
If you are unable to testify at the public hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. The official record will remain open until close of business Monday, November 9, 2015. Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite 119 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.
