Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Commerce & Labor Committee

SB 6395

Brief Description:  Allowing certain employees to handle beer or wine.

Sponsors:  Senators Rasmussen, Winsley, Hewitt, Gardner, Honeyford, Prentice, Haugen, Regala, Hochstatter, McAuliffe and Hale.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Permits retail licensees to allow persons between the ages of 18 and 21 years employed by nonretail liquor licensees to handle, stock, and merchandise beer and wine on the retail premises when an adult employee of the retail licensee also is on the premises.

Hearing Date:  2/21/02

Staff:  Sydney Forrester (786‑7120).

Background:

Minors are prohibited from consuming or possessing alcohol and generally are restricted from working in or entering areas where alcohol is served.  There are several employment exceptions to these restrictions.  For example, minors ages 18 to 21 may work as professional musicians or perform janitorial services in otherwise off‑limit locations.  Police officers between the ages of 18 and 21 may enter otherwise off‑limit locations in the line of duty.  Minors between18 and 21 may handle and sell alcohol in restaurants, snack bars, and private clubs, but not in bars, cocktail lounges, or other areas established as off‑limits by the Liquor Control Board.  These exceptions do not specifically require supervision by an adult age 21 or older.

In other circumstances, 18 to 21 year‑olds must be supervised when they work with alcohol.  Employees between the ages of 18 and 21 years who work in grocery stores or wine and beer specialty shops may sell and handle beer and wine as long as an adult age 21 or older supervises the sale of alcohol.  Also, minors 18 to 21 employed by nonretail licensees (wholesalers, manufacturers, breweries, and wineries) may stock, handle, and merchandise beer and wine for their employer, but only on and around the nonretail premises, and only under the supervision of an adult age 21 or older.  Finally, minors of retail licensees may assist customers with delivery of beer and wine to a customer's car in the retail parking lot when accompanied by the customer.

Summary of Bill:

A new exception is created to the alcohol‑related work restrictions for minors.  Retail liquor licensees may allow minors between the ages of 18 and 21 employed by nonretail licensees to stock, merchandise, and handle beer and wine on the retail premises, so long as an adult age 21 or older employed by the retail licensee also is on the premises.  Employees of the nonretail licensee, however, may not assist retail customers by carrying beer and wine to a customer's car in a retail parking lot.  A nonretail licensee retains responsibility for any act or omission of its own employees on a retail licensee's premises.

Rules Authority:  This bill does not contain provisions addressing the rule‑making powers of an agency.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.