APPENDIX G

The Consolidated Legal, Safety, and Health Disclaimers

Every “Heads Up” in the Book, in One Place — Hand This to a New Manager

This is the reference an owner hands a new manager and says: read this before you change anything. It gathers every legal, safety, and health caution scattered through the book into one topic-organized place, each in plain English, each naming the specific professional to call and the specific Texas agency or law involved. It is not exhaustive, it is not current forever, and it is emphatically not legal advice — it is a map of where the landmines are and who to call before you step. Read it, keep it handy, and when any topic here touches what you’re about to do, stop and call the professional named.

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What follows are the specific areas that carry real legal, safety, or health risk, each pointing to the professional and the law involved. They are organized by topic; the chapter where each is discussed in full is noted.

Alcohol Service & Dram-Shop Liability

Serving minors or visibly intoxicated patrons is both a TABC violation and the trigger for dram-shop civil liability that can reach into the millions, plus criminal exposure. Call: a qualified Texas alcoholic-beverage (TABC) attorney; your insurer for liquor-liability coverage. Comply with: the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code and every applicable Safe Harbor condition if your operation relies on that protection; consider requiring current TABC seller/server certification for all alcohol-service staff. Agency: TABC. (Chapters 25, 27, 28.)

Music Licensing & Copyright

Performing copyrighted music — live, recorded, karaoke, or livestreamed — without proper licenses is infringement, with willful damages up to $150,000 per work. Call: the four PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR) for licenses; a qualified attorney for online/livestream questions. Note: karaoke needs licensed tracks; livestreaming may need separate licenses. (Chapter 28; Appendix E.)

Games of Chance — Bingo, Raffles, Prize Games

Gambling (consideration + chance + prize) is illegal unless it fits a narrow legal exception. Comply with: the Texas Bingo Enabling Act and Charitable Raffle Enabling Act (charitable/qualified-nonprofit only); keep your own games free-to-play to stay outside gambling. Call: a qualified attorney. Agency: Texas Lottery Commission (Charitable Bingo & Raffles). (Chapter 13.)

Drink Specials & Gender-Based Promotions

Many specials (two-for-one, all-you-can-drink, volume discounts, more than one drink at once, happy hour past 11 p.m.) are prohibited, and gender-based pricing or admission (“ladies’ night”) raises public-accommodation discrimination problems. Comply with: TABC Rule 45.103 and related law; public-accommodation law. Call: a qualified attorney. Agency: TABC. (Chapter 17.)

Mechanical Bull, Live Animals & Rodeo Events

Mechanical bulls and live-animal or rodeo events carry serious injury and welfare risk. Use: signed liability waivers, a trained operator, proper padding/enclosure. Call: your insurance carrier (confirm coverage), a qualified attorney, and — for animals — a veterinarian; check municipal animal rules. (Chapter 16.)

Dance Floor & Dance Lessons — Premises Liability

Dancing and lessons create premises-liability exposure for slips, falls, and injuries. Use: written instructor/independent-contractor agreements; reasonable floor maintenance and signage. Call: your insurance carrier and a qualified attorney. (Chapter 14.)

Customer-Mark Traditions — Fire Code & Tax

Dollar-bill ceilings, wall signatures, and similar traditions can raise fire-code (combustible-coverage) and tax/income questions. Call: your local fire marshal (surface and coverage limits) and your CPA (any income/tax treatment of affixed cash). (Chapter 18.)

Food Allergens & Dietary Health

Never make medical or health claims about food. Know and disclose the major allergens accurately. Comply with: the FDA Food Code’s nine major allergens; honest labeling. Call: a food-safety professional. Agencies: Texas DSHS and your local health department. (Chapter 20.)

Food Safety, Permits & Labeling

Serving food requires permits, safe-handling practices, and compliance with labeling rules (including Texas SB 25’s packaged-food provisions). Comply with: local food-permit and handler-certification requirements; SB 25. Call: your local health department and a qualified attorney. Agency: Texas DSHS / local health department. (Chapter 20.)

Email & Text Marketing

Texting and emailing customers is governed by strict consent and disclosure law, with real per-message penalties. Comply with: the TCPA (and Texas telemarketing rules — note the separate-consent requirements), and CAN-SPAM for email. Use: a compliant messaging platform with proper opt-in and opt-out. Call: a qualified attorney. (Chapter 22.)

Photos, Video & Influencers

Using people’s images, others’ photos/video, or paid/comped influencers implicates copyright, the right of publicity, and FTC disclosure rules. Use: written photo/video and model releases; permission before reposting; clear disclosure of any paid/comped relationship. Note: Texas Property Code Ch. 26 covers deceased persons’ likenesses; common law covers the living. Call: a qualified attorney. Agency: FTC (disclosure). (Chapter 21.)

Private Events

Private parties, weddings, and rentals raise contract, host-liability, and insurance issues — and alcohol rules still apply (no illegal BYOB onto a Mixed Beverage premises; any payment for drinks is a sale; dram-shop persists). Use: clear written event contracts. Call: your attorney and insurer (confirm event coverage). Agency: TABC. (Chapter 27.)

Safe-Ride Programs & Parking-Lot Safety

Offering safe rides is good practice but does not eliminate your dram-shop duty, and your parking lot carries premises-liability and ADA obligations. Call: your attorney, your insurer, and TABC for guidance; partner with rideshare/TxDOT/MADD on messaging. (Chapter 24.)

Severe Weather & Event Safety

Outdoor and large events need a written severe-weather plan (lightning, heat, flooding) and clear cancellation protocols. Use: a written weather/safety plan; consider event-cancellation insurance. Call: your local fire marshal and emergency-management office; your insurer. Agency: National Weather Service / local emergency management. (Chapter 25.)

Crisis Situations

In any incident involving injury, death, or potential liability, what you say publicly can become evidence. Rule: contact your attorney and insurance carrier before making any public statement; preserve evidence; do not speculate, assign blame, or make legal admissions; express concern, provide confirmed safety information, and coordinate further statements with counsel and your insurer. Call: your attorney and insurer promptly. (Chapter 29; Appendix B.)

Employment, Wage & Workers’ Matters

Hiring, wages, classification, scheduling, and workplace law are largely outside this PR book’s scope — and they are consequential. Call: a qualified employment attorney. Agency: the Texas Workforce Commission (and federal labor authorities). (Noted for completeness.)

Insurance, Generally

Insurance is what survives the catastrophe that compliance couldn’t prevent. Carry: adequate general-liability, liquor-liability (dram-shop), property, and event coverage — plus specialized coverage for a historic building. Do: review your coverage annually with a licensed agent as your operation changes. Call: a licensed insurance agent who understands hospitality (and historic venues). (Chapters 28, 31, 32.)