SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 2685
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Commerce & Trade, February 25, 2004
Title: An act relating to acceptable forms of identification for liquor sales.
Brief Description: Revising provisions relating to acceptable forms of identification for liquor sales.
Sponsors: House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Hudgins, McMorris, Conway and Kenney; by request of Liquor Control Board).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Commerce & Trade: 2/25/04 [DP].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & TRADE
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Honeyford, Chair; Hewitt, Vice Chair; Franklin, Keiser and Mulliken.
Staff: Jennifer Strus (786-7316)
Background: Employees in state-run and contracted Washington liquor stores are required to check the identification of a customer whenever there is a question of the purchaser's age. The
identification must show the person's date of birth and include both a signature and a photograph.
U.S. military identification cards issued to active duty, reserve, and retired military personnel and their dependents are among the officially issued forms of identification listed in statute as being acceptable for liquor store sales.
The military recently adopted a new identification card that includes an embedded digital signature, rather than one which is visible.
Summary of Bill: For the purpose of proving that an individual seeking to purchase liquor is of legal age to do so, military identification that has an embedded rather than a visible signature is an acceptable form of identification.
The Liquor Control Board may adopt regulations covering cards of identification.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This is a straightforward bill that allows military identification cards with digitalized signatures to be used to prove the liquor purchaser's age.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: PRO: Rep. Zack Hudgins, prime sponsor.