(1) Definitions:

(a) "Alcohol service area" means an area in which liquor may be sold, served, and consumed as authorized under Title 66 RCW and rules of the board.

(b) "Campus operator" means the person who has primary responsibility for making managerial or executive decisions relating to operations and activities at a publicly owned civic campus or the person's designee.

(c) "Licensee" means one or more of the following, as licensed under Titles 66 RCW and 314 WAC:

(i) Beer and wine restaurant;

(ii) Spirits, beer, and wine restaurant;

(iii) Tavern;

(iv) Domestic winery;

(v) Domestic brewery;

(vi) Microbrewery;

(vii) Distillery;

(viii) Snack bar;

(ix) Special occasion licensees under RCW 66.24.380; or

(x) Caterer licensed under RCW 66.24.690. A caterer license may be issued to an applicant for this event if the sponsor of the event for which the catering services are being provided is not a society or organization as defined in RCW 66.24.375, if license and regulatory requirements are otherwise met.

(d) "Publicly owned civic campus" or "civic campus" means the buildings, facilities, grounds, lands, and spaces owned by a city and designated as a city center, and used for civic, arts, cultural, sports, and other community and family events and activities, being not more than 100 acres in size on July 27, 2025.

(2) The civic campus authorization described in this rule allows a city with a population of more than 220,000 to obtain approval from the board to expand alcohol service during events on a publicly owned civic campus in the city, subject to the requirements in this rule.

(a) A city may be authorized for no more than 25 events per year.

(b) Seven of these 25 events may be multiday events. A multiday event cannot exceed 14 consecutive days.

(3) Multiple licensees located on a civic campus in a city that has been approved for the civic campus authorization may share an alcohol service area encompassing the entire civic campus, or part of the civic campus, subject to the following requirements:

(a) The board approves of the perimeter enclosing the alcohol service area;

(b) Security and physical barriers are provided at all entry points to the event;

(c) The campus operator notifies the board at least 60 days before the event begins;

(d) Signage is conspicuously posted during the event notifying the public that the area is in use as an expanded alcohol service area and public notice of the upcoming use of the area as an expanded alcohol service area was conspicuously posted at least seven days in advance; and

(e) All participating licensees submit a joint operating plan to the board for approval, consistent with the requirements in WAC 314-03-213.

(f) If businesses that do not engage in the sale or service of alcohol are located within the perimeter of the approved alcohol service area, licensees must also follow all requirements in WAC 314-03-215.

(4) Multiple licensees located on a civic campus in a city that has been approved for the civic campus authorization may share an indoor alcohol service area at certain times authorized by the campus operator, subject to the following requirements:

(a) The campus operator notifies the board at least 60 days before the date licensees intend to begin operating the shared indoor alcohol service area;

(b) The campus operator ensures security and physical barriers are provided at all entry points to the indoor alcohol service area; and

(c) The licensees submit a joint operating plan to the board for approval, consistent with the requirements in WAC 314-03-213.

(5)(a) All participating licensees sharing an alcohol service area under subsection (3) or (4) of this section are jointly responsible for any violation or enforcement issues unless it can be demonstrated that the violation or enforcement issue was due to one or more licensee's specific conduct or action, in which case the violation or enforcement applies only to those identified licensees.

(b) Participating licensees will be required to confirm their participation by attesting to joint responsibility.

(6) While a licensee is operating under the civic campus authorization identified in this rule, they may engage in the following:

(a) Operate without a permit from their local jurisdiction that may otherwise be required to allow the business to use the public space as an alcohol service area;

(b) Share an alcohol service area with another licensee:

(i) Without individually requesting approval from the board; and

(ii) Regardless of whether the licensees' property parcels or buildings are in direct physical proximity to one another; and

(c) Sell and serve alcohol to customers from an alcohol service area without offering food service menu options, except that any required food service must still be provided within the licensed premises, and in any preexisting alcohol service area operated by the licensee under Title 314 WAC that does not rely on RCW 66.24.800, if the preexisting alcohol service areas remains in place during an event.

(7)(a) At the board's discretion, failure to provide the board notice as required in subsection (3)(c) of this section or failure to post signage as required in subsection (3)(d) of this section may be cause for denial of approval of events conducted under this rule.

(b) At the board's discretion, failure to post signage as required in subsection (3)(d) of this section can be cause for denial of license of the participating licensees or denial of participation in future events under this rule.

(8) A city approved for a civic campus authorization consistent with this rule must submit a report to the legislature and the board by January 1, 2027, consistent with RCW 66.24.810.

(9) The fee for a qualifying city to request the civic campus authorization described in this rule is $1,500 per application.

(10) The authorization described in this rule is effective until December 31, 2027.