FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5254

                                  C 101 L 87

BYSenate Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Senators Warnke, Tanner, Smitherman, West, Johnson, Newhouse, Bender, Bailey, Zimmerman, Lee, Garrett, Vognild and Moore)

Increasing penalties for the sale of liquor to minors.

Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor

House Committe on Judiciary

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Currently, persons between the ages of 18 and 20 inclusive, who purchase or attempt to purchase liquor are subject to fines in the range of $25 to $100, or imprisonment in the county jail for 30 days, or both.

Individuals who transfer, in any manner, an identification to a minor for the purpose of purchasing liquor are guilty of a misdemeanor; a specific range of penalties is not provided.

The liquor statute does not currently address the commercial preparation of false identification for individuals under the age of 21 for the purposes of purchasing liquor.

SUMMARY:

A person between the ages of 18 and 20 inclusive who purchases or attempts to purchase liquor is guilty of a misdemeanor and the penalty provisions are set at:  a fine in the range of $250 to $1,000; or no less than 25 hours of community service; or imprisonment in the county jail for 90 days; or any combination of the penalties.

The penalty provisions for persons transferring identification to minors for the purposes of purchasing liquor are set at:  fines between $250 and $1,000; or no less than 25 hours of community service; or imprisonment in the county jail for 90 days; or any combination of the penalties.

A person who, for economic gain or without proper authority, forges identification for a person under 21 for the purpose of purchasing liquor, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor with a minimum fine of $2,500.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Senate    46     0

      House 96   0 (House amended)

      Senate    47     0 (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:July 26, 1987