A state Assembly committee unanimously approved a bill Tuesday that would allow bars and alcohol retailers to sue underage patrons in possession of fake IDs.
The bill, first introduced by state Rep. André Jacque, R-De Pere, received a 9-0 vote in the bipartisan Assembly Committee on State Affairs and will now move to the state Assembly for consideration.
Under the bill, licensed alcohol retailers could file a civil lawsuit with a possible fine of up to $1000 against underage drinkers caught with fake IDs. A bipartisan amendment to the bill revoked the additional penalty requiring violators to pay for any attorney’s fees charged to the establishment during lawsuit proceedings.
Jacque said he intends the bill—which mirrors similar legislation adopted by other states, such as Alaska—to improve the “culture of alcohol use and abuse” among young drinkers.
“Clearly there are both aspects of public health and public safety that we need to look at and find the best practices to address,” Jacque said.
The proposed bill has gained bipartisan support from state representatives and health-advocacy groups, but opponents said the baseline penalty should be lower than $1000. Additionally, some critics said they believe the threat of a lawsuit will not deter underage drinkers from using fraudulent identification.
Jacque said though he understands the concern over stricter sanctions, he believes the legislation is necessary to maintain state citizens’ safety.
“This [bill] is something that I’ve worked very hard with people in both the law enforcement and drug prevention community to really raise awareness to the seriousness of this as a public health and public safety issue,” Jacque said.
