What's happening
This bill increases and specifies penalties for those convicted of selling alcoholic beverages to minors in New York.
Why it matters
Creates a clear escalation of penalties. for repeat offenders, meaning individuals convicted multiple times for selling alcohol to minors face increasingly severe fines and mandatory minimum jail sentences, rather than just a generic misdemeanor charge.
Establishes mandatory minimum jail terms. starting at 30 days for a first conviction, and rising to 180 days and up to one year for fourth and subsequent convictions, which could deter repeat violations more effectively than current law.
Specifies minimum fines. for each conviction (starting at $125 and increasing to at least $1,000 for repeat offenders), ensuring that financial penalties are not left to judicial discretion and signaling a stronger stance against selling alcohol to minors.
May particularly impact small business owners and employees. (such as clerks and bartenders), who could face serious consequences—including prolonged jail time and substantial fines—for repeated violations, underscoring the importance of compliance and staff training.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Increase Penalties for Selling to Minors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
9 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6428
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 7, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COLTON, GLICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to enumerating sanctions against persons who sell alcoholic beverages to minors
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The closing paragraph of section 260.20 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 362 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
Unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor and any person who violates the provisions of subdivision two of this section shall, upon first conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of one hundred twenty-five dollars or by imprisonment in a county jail or penitentiary for a term of not less than thirty days nor more than one year or both, and upon a second conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not less than two hundred fifty dollars or by imprisonment in a county jail or penitentiary for a term of not less than sixty days nor more than one year or both, and upon a third conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not less than three hundred seventy-five dollars or by imprisonment in a county jail or penitentiary for a term of not less than one hundred twenty days nor more than one year or both, and upon a fourth conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not less than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment in a county jail or penitentiary for a term of not less than one hundred eighty days nor more than one year or both, and upon all subsequent convictions thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment in a county jail or penitentiary for a term of one year or both.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08057-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.