SB 241 — An Act amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known as the Liquor Code, in Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, providing for expungement of citations regarding COVID-19 protocols.

PRINTER'S NO.   194

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 241
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY COLEMAN, K. WARD, PHILLIPS-HILL, LANGERHOLC,
        ROTHMAN, BROWN, HUTCHINSON, BAKER, MASTRIANO, STEFANO,
        MARTIN, LAUGHLIN, DUSH AND PENNYCUICK, FEBRUARY 13, 2025

     REFERRED TO LAW AND JUSTICE, FEBRUARY 13, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled "An
 2      act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and malt and
 3      brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating and
 4      changing the laws relating thereto; regulating and
 5      restricting the manufacture, purchase, sale, possession,
 6      consumption, importation, transportation, furnishing, holding
 7      in bond, holding in storage, traffic in and use of alcoholic
 8      liquors, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages and the
 9      persons engaged or employed therein; defining the powers and
10      duties of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; providing
11      for the establishment and operation of State liquor stores,
12      for the payment of certain license fees to the respective
13      municipalities and townships, for the abatement of certain
14      nuisances and, in certain cases, for search and seizure
15      without warrant; prescribing penalties and forfeitures;
16      providing for local option, and repealing existing laws," in
17      Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, providing for expungement
18      of citations regarding COVID-19 protocols.
19      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
20   hereby enacts as follows:
21      Section 1.     The act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known
22   as the Liquor Code, is amended by adding a section to read:
23      Section 219.    Expungement of Citations Regarding COVID-19
24   Protocols.--(a)    Subject to subsection (b), a citation issued by
25   the board or the enforcement bureau to a retail licensee for
 1   failure of the retail licensee to comply with any of the
 2   following executive actions during the period in which the
 3   Governor's Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued on March 6,
 4   2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020) was in effect
 5   shall be expunged by the board or the enforcement bureau, as
 6   applicable:
 7      (1)   A proclamation or order of the Governor under 35 Pa.C.S.
 8   § 7301(f)(7) (relating to general authority of Governor),
 9   section 8(a) of the act of April 27, 1905 (P.L.312,
10   No.218), entitled "An act creating a Department of Health, and
11   defining its powers and duties," section 2102(a) of the act of
12   April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative
13   Code of 1929, or section 5 of the act of April 23, 1956 (1955
14   P.L.1510, No.500), known as the Disease Prevention and Control
15   Law of 1955, which relates to the novel coronavirus known as
16   "COVID-19."
17      (2)   An order of the Secretary of Health under section 8(a)
18   of the act of April 27, 1905 (P.L.312, No.218), entitled "An act
19   creating a Department of Health, and defining its powers and
20   duties," section 2102(a) or 2106 of The Administrative Code of
21   1929, section 5 of the Disease Prevention and Control Law of
22   1955 or 28 Pa. Code § 27.60 (relating to disease control
23   measures), 27.61 (relating to isolation), 27.65 (relating to
24   quarantine), 27.66 (relating to placarding), 27.67 (relating to
25   movement of persons and animals subject to isolation or
26   quarantine by action of a local health authority or the
27   Department) or 27.68 (relating to release from isolation or
28   quarantine), which relates to the novel coronavirus known as
29   "COVID-19."
30      (3)   Guidance issued by the Department of Health or the

20250SB0241PN0194                  - 2 -
 1   Department of Human Services relating to the novel coronavirus
 2   known as "COVID-19."
 3      (b)   If the board or enforcement bureau issued a citation to
 4   a retail licensee as described in subsection (a), the board or
 5   enforcement bureau, as applicable, shall:
 6      (1)   expunge the citation, if the imposition of the citation
 7   was for a violation of executive action described in subsection
 8   (a) at no cost to the retail licensee within 30 days of the
 9   effective date of this paragraph; and
10      (2)   provide notice of the expungement to the retail
11   licensee.
12      (c)   As used in this section, the following words and phrases
13   shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
14      "Retail licensee" shall mean a person that holds a hotel
15   license, a restaurant liquor license, an eating place retail
16   dispenser license, a club license or a catering club license
17   under this act.
18      Section 2.     This act shall take effect immediately.




20250SB0241PN0194                    - 3 -