HBA-NRS H.B. 2995 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2995
By: Christian
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
3/18/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law provides that a parent or guardian may provide an alcoholic
beverage to a minor if the parent or guardian is visibly present during the
minor's possession or consumption of the beverage. Current law does not set
forth provisions regarding whether it is illegal to provide minors with a
location to consume an alcoholic beverage. House Bill 2995 makes it illegal
for any adult to provide alcoholic beverages to a minor and provides that
it is illegal to provide a location for the minor to consume an alcoholic
beverage.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2995 amends the Alcoholic Beverage Code to increase the penalty
from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor for an offense in which a person
purchases an alcoholic beverage for or gives or with criminal negligence
makes available an alcoholic beverage to a minor. The bill removes the
provision authorizing an adult parent, guardian, or spouse of an minor, or
an adult in whose custody the minor has been committed by a court, to
purchase an alcoholic beverage for or give an alcoholic beverage to that
minor if such a person is visibly present when the minor possesses or
consumes the alcoholic beverage. The bill provides that a person commits a
Class A misdemeanor if the person with criminal negligence provides a
location for a minor to consume an alcoholic beverage. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.