AN ACT CONCERNING UNDERAGE DRINKING.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2005) (a) No person having possession of, or exercising dominion and control over, any dwelling unit or private property shall (1) knowingly permit any minor to possess alcoholic liquor in violation of subsection (b) of section 30-89 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, in such dwelling unit or on such private property, or (2) knowing that any minor possesses alcoholic liquor in violation of subsection (b) of section 30-89 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, in such dwelling unit or on such private property, fail to make reasonable efforts to halt such possession. For the purposes of this subsection, "minor" means a person under twenty-one years of age.

(b) Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall have committed an infraction.

Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 30-89 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2005):

(b) Any minor who possesses any alcoholic liquor [on any street or highway or in any public place or place open to the public, including any club which is open to the public, shall be fined not less than two hundred nor more than five hundred dollars] on public or private property shall have committed an infraction. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to (1) a person over age eighteen who is an employee or permit holder under section 30-90a and who possesses alcoholic liquor in the course of [his] such person's employment or business, (2) a minor who possesses alcoholic liquor on the order of a practicing physician, or (3) a minor who possesses alcoholic liquor while accompanied by a parent, guardian or spouse of the minor, who has attained the age of twenty-one. For the purposes of this subsection, "minor" means a person under twenty-one years of age.

Statement of Purpose:

To provide sanctions against adults who knowingly permit minors to possess alcohol on private property and prohibit the possession of alcohol by minors on private property.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]