Sec. 1. 28-A MRSA §653, sub-§1, śC, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 140, §5, is amended to read:

C. If the municipal officers or the county commissioners, as the case may be, fail to take final action on an application for a new on-premise license, for transfer of the location of an existing on-premise license or for renewal of an on-premise license in a case in which the existing license is not extended pending renewal within 60 days of the filing of an application, the application is deemed approved and ready for action by the bureau. For purposes of this paragraph, the date of filing of the application is the date the application is received by the municipal officers or county commissioners. This paragraph applies to all applications pending before municipal officers or county commissioners as of the effective date of this paragraph as well as all applications filed on or after the effective date of this paragraph.

SUMMARY

This bill clarifies that the provision establishing a 60-day automatic renewal of a liquor license does not apply when an applicant for renewal has an existing license that is extended while the application is being processed.