New York Assembly Bill A07412

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/25/25
• Refer: 3/25/25
• Report Pass: 4/2/25
• Refer: 4/2/25
• Report Pass: 4/7/25
• Refer: 4/7/25
• Engrossed: 4/9/25
• Refer: 4/9/25
• Engrossed: 6/10/25
• Enrolled: 8/15/25
• Chaptered: 8/22/25
• Passed: 8/22/25

Caption

Exempts certain property in the city of Rochester from the prohibition of alcohol sales within a certain distance from a church.

Summary

A07412 creates a narrow, location-specific exception to New York’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law for a single parcel in the City of Rochester, Monroe County. Under current law, the State Liquor Authority generally may not issue an on-premises retail alcohol license for a premises located within 200 feet of a building occupied exclusively as a school, church, synagogue, or other place of worship. This bill authorizes that license for a food or beverage retail premises located wholly within the boundaries of Rochester on the described lot at South Avenue and Gregory Street, despite its proximity to a place of worship. The measure is drafted as a special exemption for one identified property, rather than a broad change to statewide licensing rules. If enacted, it would allow the State Liquor Authority to approve an on-premises consumption license for that site even though it falls within the protected distance zone. The bill takes effect immediately and would affect the licensing status of the specified Rochester parcel and any prospective operator seeking to sell food or beverages for on-site consumption there.

Impact

The bill amends section 64 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law by adding a new paragraph that carves out an exception to the 200-foot restriction on alcohol licenses near schools and houses of worship. Its practical effect is limited to one specifically described property in Rochester, meaning it does not broadly alter the statewide buffer-zone rule but instead creates a site-specific statutory waiver. The main parties affected are the property owner, any future restaurant or beverage operator at that location, the State Liquor Authority, and nearby religious or educational institutions that would otherwise be protected by the distance restriction.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have received broadly favorable treatment in the Legislature. It advanced unanimously or near-unanimously through committee stages and passed the Assembly and Senate with large margins, indicating little organized opposition. The voting pattern suggests lawmakers viewed it as a routine local exemption tied to a particular development or business use rather than a controversial policy shift.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the policy choice to grant a special exemption from a generally applicable alcohol licensing restriction. Supporters likely see it as a targeted economic-development accommodation for a specific Rochester property, while critics of such measures may object that it weakens the consistency of the 200-foot rule and creates a precedent for individualized carve-outs near schools and places of worship. However, the recorded votes show minimal opposition, suggesting any disagreement was limited and did not materially slow the bill.