Alcoholic beverages: licensees.

Existing law authorizes the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages and to place reasonable conditions upon retail licensees or upon any licensee in the exercise of retail privileges in specified situations. Existing law authorizes the department to remove or modify conditions which were placed on a license issued by the department upon, among other things, the filing of a petition by the licensee or a transferee requesting the removal or modification of those conditions if the department is satisfied that the grounds that caused the imposition of the conditions no longer exist, as provided. This bill would also authorize the department to place reasonable conditions upon retail licensees or upon any licensee in the exercise of retail privileges at the time any physical changes or alterations are made to the licensed premises, subject to approval by the department, that materially or substantially alter the premises or the usage of the premises from the plan contained in the diagram of licensed premises on file with the license application. The bill would provide that, for purposes of the removal or modification of conditions, a situation in which the "grounds that caused the imposition of the condition no longer exist" includes, but is not limited to, the situation in which there have been substantial changes in the totality of circumstances such that the department determines that the current circumstances reasonably justify the modification or removal of the conditions.