S-3273.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6395

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington   57th Legislature        2002 Regular Session

By Senators Rasmussen, Winsley, Hewitt, Gardner, Honeyford, Prentice, Haugen, Regala, Hochstatter, McAuliffe and Hale

Read first time 01/16/2002.  Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions.

Allowing certain employees to handle beer or wine.

    AN ACT Relating to the merchandising of beer and wine by employees between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one on or about a licensee's premises; and amending RCW 66.44.318.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 66.44.318 and 1995 c 100 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    Licensees holding nonretail class liquor licenses are permitted to allow their employees between (([the])) the ages of eighteen and twenty-one to stock, merchandise, and handle beer or wine on or about the nonretail premises if there is an adult twenty-one years of age or older on duty supervising such activities on the premises, and licensees holding grocery store or beer and/or wine specialty shop licenses exclusively are permitted to allow employees of the nonretail class liquor licensee between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one to stock, merchandise, or handle beer or wine on or about the retail licensee's premises as long as there is an adult twenty-one years of age or older, employed by the retail licensee, present at the retail licensee's premises during these activities.  However, except as provided in this section, nothing shall be construed to permit a nonretail licensee's employee between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one to handle, transport, or otherwise possess beer or wine beyond the premises of the retail licensee and any act or omission of the nonretail licensee's employee occurring at or about the retail licensee's premises, which violates any provision of this title, is the sole responsibility of the nonretail licensee employer.  Nothing in this section absolves the retail licensee from responsibility for the acts or omissions of its own employees which violate any provision of this title.

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