THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY WATERS, JOSEPHS AND STABACK, MARCH 17, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LIQUOR CONTROL, MARCH 17, 2011  

AN ACT

Amending the act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), entitled, as

reenacted, "An act relating to alcoholic liquors, alcohol and

malt and brewed beverages; amending, revising, consolidating

and changing the laws relating thereto; regulating and

restricting the manufacture, purchase, sale, possession,

consumption, importation, transportation, furnishing, holding

in bond, holding in storage, traffic in and use of alcoholic

liquors, alcohol and malt and brewed beverages and the

persons engaged or employed therein; defining the powers and

duties of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; providing

for the establishment and operation of State liquor stores,

for the payment of certain license fees to the respective

municipalities and townships, for the abatement of certain

nuisances and, in certain cases, for search and seizure

without warrant; prescribing penalties and forfeitures;

providing for local option, and repealing existing laws,"

providing for an age verification system.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  The act of April 12, 1951 (P.L.90, No.21), known

as the Liquor Code, reenacted and amended June 29, 1987 (P.L.32,

No.14), is amended by adding a section to read:

Section 218.  Age Verification System.--(a)  It is the

purpose of this section to require an accurate identification

system and to provide privacy and confidentiality of information

obtained from an individual's driver's license unless the

individual gives his expressed consent otherwise. This section

shall only apply to limited licensees.

(b)  The board shall require any limited licensee that sells

alcoholic beverages for consumption on or off the premises to

install, maintain and use electronic age verification equipment

that scans identification cards and displays the age of the

person as indicated on the card.

(c)  Any limited licensee that fails to comply with this

section commits a violation of this act and shall be subject to

the penalties provided in section 494.

(d)  As used in this section, the following words and phrases

shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:

"Electronic age verification equipment" shall mean equipment

that electronically reads an identification card and displays

the age of the person identified on the card.

"Limited licensee" shall mean a licensee who has a

restaurant, hotel or malt or brewed beverage license issued by

the board in a city of the first class.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 90 days.