Bill > H963

This bill establishes a three-year pilot program in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to discourage underage drinking and provide a non-criminal disposition process for first-time offenders of laws prohibiting the sale or possession of alcohol by individuals under the legal drinking age of 21. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Treating first-time offenses under the relevant alcohol laws as a non-criminal matter, subject to a fine of $300 and mandatory attendance in an approved alcohol education program. 2. Requiring police officers to issue a written notice to appear before the clerk of the district court for these first-time offenses, rather than pursuing criminal charges. 3. Creating an Alcohol Awareness Education Fund, funded by $100 from each $300 fine, to be used by the Department of Public Safety and Security to develop alcohol use and abuse prevention programs in public schools. 4. Allowing for the suspension of the driver's license of any offender who fails to pay the fine or complete the alcohol education program. 5. Maintaining separate records of participants in the pilot program, which can be used to determine eligibility and for charging subsequent offenses. 6. Requiring police departments to report on the effectiveness of the pilot program, including the number of participants and recidivism rate, after the first three years.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H963