Substitute House Bill No. 47 Summary

• Creates "outdoor refreshment areas" in municipalities and townships with populations over 35,000, allowing persons to possess open containers of beer or intoxicating liquor purchased from qualified permit holders within designated areas.

• Exempts passengers on commercial quadricycles (human-powered vehicles with four wheels and at least five seats) from open container laws, limited to 36 ounces of beer or 18 ounces of wine per person.

• Requires municipal legislative authorities to designate outdoor refreshment area boundaries (maximum 320 acres for populations over 35,000; 150 acres for smaller jurisdictions), establish public health and safety requirements, and conduct five-year reviews of area operations.

• Restricts outdoor refreshment areas to municipalities and townships with populations over 35,000, with limits of two areas for populations over 50,000 and one area for populations between 35,000 and 50,000.

• Revises F-8 liquor permit eligibility to remove the specific county population requirement from July 10, 2007 and instead apply the provision "on and after the effective date of this amendment."