Washington State Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1480 (E2SHB 1480) was enacted on April 14, 2021, and its provisions granted bars, restaurants, and other specified licensees of the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) privileges to sell alcoholic beverages for takeout, curbside, and delivery, and/or offer outdoor service of alcohol.
The LCB initially provided allowances to help licensees reduce impacts related to COVID-19 mandatory closures and limit capacity restrictions during the pandemic. The allowances were extended by HB 1480 after these restrictions ended.
The Legislation required a report to be conducted by December 2022. Linked below is the final report generated in conjunction with the independent study required under 2021’s E2SHB 1480, analyzing possible impacts of liquor license privileges extended by that legislation based on some COVID-19 allowances originally granted by the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB).
Through an RFP and competitive bid process, the Board selected The CDM Group, Inc. to conduct the study. Contained in the report is:
- An executive summary, with primary findings in the first four pages;
- Brief conclusions and recommendations offered by The CDM Group, Inc.;
- A comprehensive report; and
- Supporting materials.
A one-page infographic showcasing high level data associated with the full report is also included.
Additionally, the CDM Group, Inc. produced an interactive data dashboard, which is being hosted on data.wa.gov, containing all the data found in the report.
More information about remaining and expired COVID allowances can be found elsewhere on the Washington is Open and Ready for Business section of the LCB website.