SENATE BILL REPORT

                           ESHB 2872

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE, FEBRUARY 25, 1994

Brief Description:  Making it a gross misdemeanor to use false identification to obtain liquor.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Veloria, Lisk, Caver, Springer and Leonard)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Moore, Chairman; Prentice, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Deccio, Fraser, McAuliffe, Newhouse, Pelz, Prince, Sellar, Sutherland, Vognild and Wojahn.

Staff:  Traci Ratzliff (786-7452)

Hearing Dates: February 24, 1994; February 25, 1994

BACKGROUND:

It is illegal for a person under the age of 21 to possess, consume or purchase liquor.  In addition, it is unlawful for a person under the age of 21 to represent himself or herself as over 21 in order to gain admission to a tavern or cocktail lounge.

It is also illegal for a person to transfer identification to a minor for the purpose of enabling the minor to obtain alcoholic beverages or to forge or supply identification to a person under the age of 21 for the purpose of allowing the minor to purchase liquor.

If a juvenile, age 13 or older and under age 18, violates any provision of the liquor code, he or she loses his or her driver's license.  The period of revocation for a first offense is one year or until the juvenile reaches age 17, whichever is longer.

Current law does not address the use by minors of false identification to purchase alcoholic beverages.

Forms of identification that may be used to prove age in order to acquire alcoholic beverages are:  driver's licenses, official identification cards, Liquor Control Board identification cards issued by any state or province of Canada, passports, active duty military cards, or merchant marine identification cards issued by the Coast Guard. 

SUMMARY:

It is a gross misdemeanor for a person to use the identification of another person or to use forged identification for the purpose of acquiring or purchasing alcoholic beverages.

Any person who is convicted of a violation of this act is to be fined at least $250.

If convicted of a violation of this act, the driver's license of a person who is age 18 or older and is younger than age 21 is revoked for the period of one year.

Retired military or active reserve identification cards are suitable identification to use to acquire alcoholic beverages.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

This bill will do a lot to discourage minors from using false I.D. to purchase alcohol and it will send a strong message to everyone that this state is serious about prohibiting underage drinking.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Representative Velma Veloria, original prime sponsor; Carter Mitchell, Liquor Control Board; Ben Kym, Restaurant Association