Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Commerce & Gaming Committee
HB 1483
Brief Description: Concerning workforce development in the beverage alcohol industry.
Sponsors: Representatives Chambers, Kloba, Fitzgibbon, Volz, Wicks, Jacobsen, Robertson, Boehnke and Eslick.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Allows 18 to 21-year-old employees of certain liquor licensees to engage in the manufacture and production of liquor, subject to specified conditions.
  • Requires that an adult age 21 or older be on duty to supervise employees between the ages of 18 to 21 that are authorized to work in a liquor licensee's production facility. 
Hearing Date: 2/11/21
Staff: Kyle Raymond (786-7190).
Background:

Under certain specified circumstances, certain liquor licensees may employ interns or employees between the ages of 18 and 21 to hold, handle, transport, or otherwise possess liquor. 

 

For example, a non-retail class licensee is permitted to allow an employee under the age of 21 to stock, merchandise, and handle liquor if an adult age 21 or older is on duty supervising, subject to other restrictions.  

 

In addition, a domestic winery licensee may allow interns between 18 and 21 years old to engage in wine production-related work at the domestic winery's licensed location, so long as the intern is enrolled as a student at a community or technical college, regional university, or state university that holds a special permit for this purpose issued by the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB).  The student must also be enrolled in a required or elective class as part of a culinary, sommelier, wine business, enology, viticulture, wine technology, beer technology, or spirituous technology-related degree program.
 
A domestic winery or non-retail class liquor licensee is solely responsible for any act or omission of their employee or intern that occurs at or on the licensee's premises that violates liquor laws.
Summary of Bill:

Employees of all liquor licensees with privileges for manufacturing or producing beer, wine, spirits, or any type of liquor who are between the ages of 18 and 21 may engage in the manufacture and production of liquor as authorized under the terms of their employer's license.  The employee may only work in the licensee's production facility if there is an adult age 21 or older on duty supervising such activities.

 

An employee under age 21 engaging in the manufacture and production of liquor is not authorized to sell or serve liquor.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.