§ 23450. “Veterans”.
As used in this article, “veteran” means any person who has served in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, or as an active nurse in the service of the American Red Cross, or in the Army and Navy Nurse Corps in time of war, or in any expedition of the Armed Forces of the United States, or who served in one of these services during the period September 16, 1940, to December 7, 1941, and received a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 379, Sec. 1. (AB 1715) Effective January 1, 2023.)
§ 23451. What constitutes club.
Any post, chapter, camp, or other local unit, composed solely of veterans, of an organization composed solely of veterans which has been chartered by the Congress of the United States for patriotic, fraternal, or benevolent purposes, and which post, chapter, camp, or other local unit has, as the owner, lessee, or occupant thereof, operated an establishment for any such purpose for not less than one year, is a bona fide club within the meaning of Section 22 of Article XX of the Constitution and of this division.
(Added by Stats. 1953, Ch. 152.)
§ 23452. Issuance of license to local unit.
The department may issue one veterans’ club license to any post, chapter, camp or other local unit described in Section 23451 for the establishment, if otherwise satisfactory, where the post, chapter, camp, or other local unit maintains its club.
(Amended by Stats. 1955, Ch. 1221.)
§ 23452.5. Issuance of license to memorial association.
The department may also issue one veterans’ club license to any veterans’ memorial association which is a nonprofit private corporation organized for patriotic, fraternal, or benevolent purposes, composed solely of veterans, and which has more than 18,000 bona fide regular members, and which owns, leases, maintains, or operates a clubhouse and has continuously operated a clubhouse for not less than three years.
(Added by Stats. 1957, Ch. 597.)
§ 23453. Rights and privileges; Transferability.
(a) The holder of a veterans’ club license may exercise all of the rights and privileges permitted by an on-sale general license but may sell and serve alcoholic beverages for consumption within the licensed establishment only to bona fide members of the veterans’ organization and their bona fide guests, bona fide members of other veterans’ organizations, active duty or reserve members of the Armed Forces, or veterans as defined in Section 18540.4 of the Government Code.
(b) A veterans’ club license is not transferable to another person from the person to whom issued or by whom renewed. The provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 23815) of Chapter 5 do not apply to the issuance of veterans’ club licenses.
(c) A bona fide member of a veterans’ organization, bona fide guest, active duty or reserve member of the Armed Forces, or veteran is not required to sign in to a roster before purchasing or being served alcoholic beverages for consumption.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 423, Sec. 1. (SB 685) Effective January 1, 2016.)
§ 23454. Compensation of officers and members prohibited.
No member and no officer, agent, or employee of a veterans’ club licensee shall be paid or shall directly or indirectly receive, in the form of salary or other compensation, any of the profits from the distribution or sale of alcoholic beverages to the licensee or to the members of the licensee or its guests, beyond the amount of such salary as may be fixed and voted at any regular meeting by the members of the licensee or by its governing body out of the general revenue of the local unit.
(Added by Stats. 1953, Ch. 152.)
§ 23455. Revocation of license.
The department may revoke any license issued pursuant to this article whenever, in the judgment of the department, the licensee ceases to operate as a bona fide club.
(Amended by Stats. 1955, Ch. 447.)