Bill
SB 2332
Exemptions to 200-foot proximity rules for liquor licenses do not bar neighboring property owners from objecting; remonstrance rights are preserved.
Title: AN ACT RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES -- RETAIL LICENSES
Jonathan points of contact:
- Introduced: January 23, 2026
- Referred to: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
- Action history: Committee recommendation for passage (Apr 29, 2026); Placed on Senate Calendar (Apr 30, 2026)
Purpose and overall intent
- The bill clarifies and tightens the interaction between proximity-based licensing restrictions and property owner remonstrance rights near schools and places of worship.
- Specifically, it preserves property owners’ rights to object to the grant or transfer of certain liquor licenses even when a proposed location would be exempt from the two-hundred-foot proximity prohibition for schools and places of worship.
Key provisions and changes
1) Amendment to proximity restrictions (3-7-19)
- Current law (prior to this bill) restricts Retailers’ Class B, C, N, and I licenses, and licenses under § 3-7-16.8, from being issued in buildings within 200 feet of:
- The landowner’s property (within 200 feet of the building)
- The premises of any public, private, or parochial school
- A place of public worship
- The bill retains these proximity restrictions but adds a crucial consistency element: exemptions to the 200-foot prohibition (granted by various licensing boards in specific municipalities) do not erase neighboring property owners’ rights to object to the license on remonstrance grounds.
- Notably, in East Providence, Class A licenses have a different distance (500 feet) for proximity to schools or places of worship. The bill maintains those location-specific rules for East Providence but clarifies the remonstrance rights unaffected by exemptions.
2) Procedural/remonstrance rights preserved (new § 3-7-19.1)
- The bill adds a new statutory provision, 3-7-19.1, titled “Objection by adjoining property owners.”
- It codifies that for Retailers’ Class B, C, N, and I licenses (and licenses under § 3-7-16.8), exemptions to the 200-foot proximity rule do not extinguish neighboring property owners’ remonstrance rights.
- Subsection (b) clarifies that this right does not apply to Class B or C licenses already issued prior to January 1, 1978 (i.e., grandfathered/remained unaffected by the remonstrance preservation).
3) Effective date
- The act takes effect upon passage.
Who is affected
- Retailers seeking certain alcohol licenses (Class B, C, N, I, and related licenses under § 3-7-16.8) in Rhode Island.
- Property owners whose land or properties lie within proximity to proposed or transferred license locations.
- Municipal licensing boards (e.g., Providence, Newport, Newport’s exemptions, and other towns/cities listed in the bill) that grant exemptions to proximity restrictions would still have to consider neighbor remonstrance rights.
Significant timelines
- Effective date: upon passage (immediate applicability once enacted).
Impact and interpretation
- Practical effect: Even if a municipality grants an exemption to the 200-foot proximity rule for a given license location, adjoining property owners would retain the right to file and pursue objections/remonstrances to the license grant or relocation.
- This adds a protective procedural layer for neighbors while maintaining local discretion to authorize exemptions in targeted areas.
Notes for readers
- The bill includes numerous specific local-area exemptions, each with its own boundary description, reflecting the complex, location-specific landscape of Rhode Island liquor licensing.
- The change emphasizes procedural rights (remonstrance) over proximity-based permissive exceptions, ensuring that exemptions do not bypass neighbor concerns.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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