Restaurant Relief Priorities

After the mitigation tactics by the Wolf Administration that targeted the restaurant industry specifically, many state representatives and senators reached out to PRLA directly to see what they could do to help assist the industry. 

In response, PRLA and its members have identified the following priorities to help restaurants recover. Legislation that has already been introduced will have its bill number and prime sponsor noted. 

General Restaurant Recovery Items: 

• HB 2615 (Stephens): Creates a $250 million grant program for restaurants. Eligible applicants can receive up to $50,000. 
• HB 2513 (Everett): Allows restaurants to operate at 50 percent capacity.  
• Create additional interest free loan options for the hospitality industry. 
• Eliminate late fees/penalties for delayed sales tax payments and allow restaurants to pay off delinquent accounts by 12/31/2020. 
• SB 1194 (Stefano): Provides liability protection to businesses that follow all emergency order safety requirements. 
• SB 1116 (Killion): Prohibits foreclosure and eviction of commercial tenants during the course of the emergency declaration and 90 days thereafter.  

Licensee Recovery Items: 

• Eliminate all license renewal fees for one year. (No one piece of introduced legislation addresses this request specifically.)
• Eliminate safekeeping fees for one year. 
• HB 2671 (Isaacson): Increase the licensee discount to help preserve cashflow when licensees are purchasing products from the PLCB.  
• Allow licensees to deliver wine and mixed drinks, just as they are able to deliver malt and brewed beverages currently.  
• Allow licensees to expand their licensed premise outdoors to non-contiguous areas within a certain distance of the licensee. OR, eliminate the $500 off-premise catering permit and current cap on hours/events for an off-premise catering permit during the declared state of emergency.