Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed House Bill 1615 into law Monday, a measure that is aimed at making it easier for bars and restaurants to offer outdoor entertainment. 

The availability of beer at bars, taverns and restaurants in the southeast is becoming a slow flow as supply chain issues hit distributors. 

A bill introduced in the state Senate last week would permanently allow the sale of cocktails-to-go in Pennsylvania after they were temporarily allowed for sale during the pandemic. 

The allowance of cocktails-to-go that was made to help bars and restaurants during the pandemic is one step closer to being permanent.

House Bill 1154 was passed by a vote of 187-14 on Tuesday, which would make the rule that allowed a temporary exception for the sale of drinks to go permanent after the pandemic is over.

Grants worth more than $50 million have been distributed by the Pennsylvania COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP,) and millions have gone to hotels, restaurants and bars in the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement Officers visited 756 liquor license holders and issued 20 notice violations to businesses who failed to follow COVID-19 requirements during the week of Feb. 1.

Less than a week after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed a bill that would have eased COVID-19 mitigation restrictions at the state’s restaurants, he is offering a financial olive branch to the hard-hit industry.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives failed to override the governor’s veto of House Bill 2513, which would have reversed many of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants.

As he said he would, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf today vetoed a bill that would have rolled back many of the COVID-19 safety restrictions at bars and restaurants that his administration has put into place.