On April 27, the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association (PRLA) alcohol service, government affairs and lodging, and tourism committees met to amend the association’s legislative strategy. This plan will be reviewed each calendar year to update the plan and take into consideration any political changes that may have taken place within the legislature.
Minimum wage/tipped wage remains a top PRLA priority and we expect the legislature will prioritize this issue, too. Once that happens, this issue will become our top priority.
May–August 2021
Top priorities
Pass remaining PRLA COVID Priorities:
- Additional funds to the CHIRP program and expand eligible entities for the fund
- Liability protection
- Relief of charges relating to unemployment claims for 2021
- Address workforce issues
- $20 million to the state Tourism Office
- Re-establish the statewide tourism partnership as passed during the Rendell administration
- Create grant program for Destination Marketing Organization (DMO)
- Increase licensee discount to 15 percent
- Eliminate safekeeping fees for licensees until 2023
- Allow licensees to deliver wine and mixed drinks
- Eliminate fees for off-premise catering permits, allow unlimited events, and remove the five hour cap until Dec. 31, 2022
- All extension of licensed premise to contiguous and non-contiguous property, outdoors, until Dec. 31, 2022
- Make mixed drinks-to-go permanent
- Allow a licensee that closes permanently to sell remaining wine and spirits to another licensee
- Alcohol service licensing plan—SB 566—changes to “dead” license auction
- Pass “ready to drink” cocktails
Research tasks
- Reconvene Tourism Improvement District working group
- Preliminary research for “Keep our Summers Sacred”
September–December 2021
Top priorities
- Permit amusement parks, airports, malls to allow on-premise consumption of alcohol throughout the facility
- Association Health Plan
- Online home sharing registry
- Third party delivery company regulations
Research tasks
- Research “Keep our Summers Sacred” and coalition building
January–June 2022
Top priorities
- Introduce “Keep our summers sacred”—Post Labor Day school start legislation
- Assess how statewide tourism partnership is operating
- Allow true catered events to have more than 52 events per year
Educate
- Importance of state support of Pro-Start
- Election—Gubernatorial and others
July–December 2022 (Election year)
Top priorities with goal of final passage
- Complete any unfinished priorities
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