This bill adds a new, temporary section (Sec. 1) that allows a city, town, or county designated as a fan zone or host city by an international sports governing body—or a nonprofit created by such an entity—to ask the Liquor and Cannabis Board to approve expanded alcohol service areas in that jurisdiction. The authorization is limited to either a contiguous two-square-block area or two one-block areas and only applies during June and July 2026; Sec. 1 expires August 1, 2026. Multiple licensees may share a permitted alcohol service area if they submit a joint operating plan and comply with board rules on security, barriers, staff ratios, training, limits per transaction, prevention of sales to underage and intoxicated persons, and other board requirements. Participating licensees are jointly responsible for enforcement violations unless a violation is shown to be the sole conduct of a particular licensee. While operating under Sec. 1 authorization, licensees may operate without local permits that would otherwise be required for use of public space, may share service areas without separate licensing-division approvals, and may sell and serve alcohol from the service area without offering food service menus (but required food service must still be provided in the licensed premises). The bill amends RCW 66.24.710 to allow specified licensees to sell alcohol for takeout or delivery only with a board-issued endorsement (no endorsement fee), and gives the board rulemaking authority over those activities. Delivery and takeout rules in the amendment include requirements that deliveries be made by employees age 21 or older who hold a class 12 permit, that any alcohol delivered be in a factory-sealed or tamper-resistant container, that a person age 21 or older sign for deliveries, that beer-and-wine or spirits/brewery restaurant deliveries be accompanied by a purchased meal, and that prefilled growlers be sold the same day they are prepared. The amendment also contains multiple date limits, including provisions stating no alcohol deliveries under the section may occur after July 1, 2025 and other delivery allowances described as valid "until July 1, 2025." RCW 66.08.030 is amended to authorize the board to submit criminal history information to the Washington State Patrol and the FBI for background checks and to require fingerprinting if an FBI check is submitted. The bill also amends RCW 66.44.100 to preserve the general prohibition on opening liquor packages or consuming liquor in public places but creates an exception for activities permitted by this title (including those authorized under Sec. 1) through August 1, 2026; violating the public-consumption prohibition (outside the exception) is a class 3 civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW. Some parts of the bill text are not included in the provided facts: the amendment text to RCW 66.44.100 and the remainder of RCW 66.08.030 are incomplete in the materials provided, and specific board rule details (for example exact notification timing, numerical staff-to-attendee ratios, and per-transaction beverage limits) and procedures for local jurisdictions to request approvals or for the board to approve event perimeters are not specified in the extracted facts.

For a short window in June and July 2026, cities or counties designated as host or fan zones can get Liquor and Cannabis Board approval to create two-block (or two one-block) alcohol service areas where many types of licensed businesses can sell and serve alcohol without local permits and without offering food in those outdoor areas. Participating licensees must provide security, barriers, and a joint operating plan and will share responsibility for compliance and violations unless a specific business is shown responsible. This will likely boost sales opportunities for eligible restaurants, breweries, wineries, distilleries, taverns and similar businesses but also raise costs for extra security, staff training, and insurance or shared liability; local governments and the board will need to review and oversee approvals and enforce rules, and the usual ban on public consumption is temporarily relaxed only inside approved areas through August 1, 2026. Separately, the bill tightens takeout and delivery rules: sellers need a board endorsement (no fee), deliveries must be made by employees 21+ with a class 12 permit and require an adult signature, some restaurant deliveries must include a purchased meal, containers must be factory sealed or tamper-resistant, and prefilled growlers must be sold same day; many of these delivery permissions end July 1, 2025. The board also gains authority to submit background checks to the Washington State Patrol and FBI with fingerprinting when needed, which may add administrative steps and timing for applicants. The extracted text does not include concrete board rule details (notification timelines, staff/security ratios, per-transaction limits) or full amendments to certain sections, so specific operational requirements and timelines remain unclear.