Bill > S185

This bill proposes to increase penalties for minors aged 17 to 20 years and 9 months who are caught purchasing, attempting to purchase, or consuming alcoholic beverages, or who are intoxicated in public, or who misrepresent their age to obtain alcohol. Specifically, if a minor in this age group is found delinquent or guilty of these offenses, they will face escalating fines and license suspensions. For a first offense, the penalty is a fine up to $100 and a 60-day loss of their driver's license. A second offense results in a fine between $100 and $500 and a 180-day license suspension. A third offense carries a fine between $100 and $1000, a loss of license, and potentially up to a year in jail or until their 21st birthday. Importantly, any minor found to be a "junior operator" (a term referring to a young driver with specific license restrictions) and who commits any of these offenses will lose their junior operator's license until they turn 21, regardless of the number of offenses.