BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1729

By: Harris

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been calls to assist the financial recovery of businesses in the City of Elkhart as its restaurant industry has been damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. H.B. 1729 seeks to ensure that the ability to sell alcohol is available to businesses throughout the city by providing for areas annexed to the city to automatically assume the city's wet status.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1729 amends the Alcoholic Beverage Code to establish that an area annexed to an applicable municipality automatically assumes the wet or dry status of that municipality on annexation. The bill applies only to a municipality that contains U.S. Highway 287 and State Highway 294 and is located in a county with a population of not less than 57,000 and not more than 59,000 on September 1, 2021. The bill's provisions apply to an area annexed by such a municipality before, on, or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.