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Bay Area legislators propose 4 a.m. last call for bars, restaurants

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Published  April 8, 2025 2:37pm PDT
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KTVU FOX 2

The Brief

    • Assembly Bill 432 would allow city leaders across the state to determine which businesses or neighborhoods could extend their hours and by how much.
    • The bill has already garnered support from groups across the state.
    • The main difference between this bill and previous proposals is that those programs sought to establish pilot programs in select cities, including San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO - A pair of San Francisco legislators are trying to keep the party going.

Assemblymember Matt Haney and State Senator Scott Weiner have reintroduced a measure to allow some restaurants and bars in California to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and state holidays, a two-hour extension on the current cutoff time of 2 a.m. If it's adopted, the new law would take effect next year.

"Downtowns in California are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels almost half a decade later," Haney said in a press release announcing the proposed legislation. "A thriving nightlife has extensive positive effects on many other sectors, including retail, the arts, restaurants, housing and large conventions, and will bring more people into downtowns that desperately need them during both the day and night."

Assembly Bill 432 would allow city leaders across the state to determine which businesses or neighborhoods could extend their hours and by how much.

Replace ‘one-size-fit-all’ approach

Dig deeper:

The proposal would replace the current laws, a "one-size-fits-all" that mandates all bars close their doors at two a.m. Haney said the current rules have "hamstrung" businesses who rely on nighttime hours to survive. He pointed to Nevada, Florida, New York and Illinois — states that compete with California for tourists, conventions and large events — which allow their cities to determine their own "last call" hours.

"In recent years, California has experienced a decline in hosting large conventions, with many events relocating to other nearby states like Colorado and Nevada. Conventions have the potential to generate close to $57 million, making their relocation a devastating setback to local economies," Haney's press release states. "Other types of tourism spending also remain far behind pre-pandemic levels. In the Bay Area hotel revenue remains down by 45% and restaurant revenue is still 20% less than in 2019."

Haney argued that the new legislation would allow California to capitalize on several big opportunities in the coming years — the 2026 Super Bowl in San Francisco, the 2027 Super Bowl in Los Angeles, the 2026 World Cup, and the 2028 Olympics.

Wiener (D-San Francisco) has introduced similar legislation several times in recent years. The main difference between this bill and previous proposals is that those programs sought to establish pilot programs in select cities, including San Francisco.

While Wiener's proposals were rebuffed by then-legislators, a law signed last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom has given the two San Francisco legislators hope that this time will be different. Newsom in September signed a bill that extends public drinking hours for a select few: VIPs at Inglewood's Intuit Dome arena.

Support

The bill has already garnered support from groups across the state, including the California Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the California Hotel and Lodging Association, CA Travel Association, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Uber, and the National Independent Venue Association of CA.

Assembly Bill 342 will be heard in the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee on April 23.

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