A 5007 New Jersey General Assembly · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Concerns alcoholic beverage licenses for sporting facilities.

This bill (A5007) amends New Jersey's alcoholic beverage licensing law to clarify and expand the ability of sporting facilities to sell alcohol. It removes previous restrictions that limited all-inclusive alcohol areas to one per event with a 500-person maximum capacity, now allowing unlimited number, size, and capacity of such areas within sporting venues. The bill also clarifies that "sporting facility" premises include all areas up to the security perimeter, not just the main venue. This affects stadiums, arenas, and training facilities that serve alcohol, with license fees varying based on venue capacity from $2,500 to $10,000.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2024

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Oct 28, 2024 Last action Feb 27, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Introduced Version ATG 1/23/25 1R · 6 edits · Oct 28, 2024

MODERATE

The Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee reported A5007 with amendments that significantly modified the original approach to all-inclusive areas at sporting facilities. Instead of removing all limits on the number and capacity of all-inclusive areas (as the introduced version proposed), the committee capped them at five areas per event with a combined capacity limit of 500 persons or 5 percent of total facility capacity, whichever is greater. The committee also added a new special permit mechanism for major national or international sporting events at large venues and expanded the plenary retail distribution license to cover intoxicating hemp beverages.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed on all-inclusive areas (from unlimited to up to five with a capacity cap) while expanding in two directions: adding a special permit pathway for major sporting events at large venues, and incorporating intoxicating hemp beverages into the plenary retail distribution license.

REQUIREMENT

All-inclusive areas at sporting facilities are now limited to a maximum of five per game or event, with a combined capacity cap of 500 persons or 5 percent of total facility seating capacity, whichever is greater. The original bill would have removed all such limits entirely.

A new special all-inclusive area event permit was created for national or international sporting events at facilities with 50,000 or more seats. The fee is $2,000 per day per all-inclusive area, capped at $6,000 per day total. The director may require a bond before issuance and may impose special conditions.

DEFINITION

A new definition of 'national or international sporting event' was added, meaning a tournament-level professional event governed by a national or international sports federation or governing body, including events governed by the NFL, International Olympic Committee, and FIFA.

SCOPE

The plenary retail distribution license (Class C, subsection 3a) now explicitly includes the sale of intoxicating hemp beverages pursuant to P.L.2024, c.73 (C.24:6I-48.2), expanding what can be sold under that license type.

Assemblyman Schaer was added as a co-sponsor alongside Assemblywoman Donlon.

TECHNICAL

The cross-reference for the sporting facility license section was changed from P.L.2018, c.147, s.1 to P.L.2024, c.73, s.6, reflecting that the amendment is now made in conjunction with the hemp beverages legislation.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Committee

Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments and Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee

lower

Oct 28, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee

lower

2 primary · 2 co-sponsors