I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2161

To amend title 18 of the United States Code to prohibit shipping alcohol

to minors.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 10, 1999

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD (for herself, Mr. EHRLICH, Mr. WEINER, Mr.

FORD, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. OWENS, Ms. DANNER, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. MCGOVERN,

Mr. RANGEL, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. PALLONE, Mrs. CLAYTON, Ms. CARSON, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. WYNN, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. NORTON, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr.

GUTIERREZ, Ms. RIVERS, and Mr. LUTHER) introduced the following bill;

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend title 18 of the United States Code to prohibit

shipping alcohol to minors.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alcohol Shipment to

5 Minors Prohibition Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. SHIPMENT OF ALCOHOL TO MINORS PROHIBITED.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 59 of title 18, United

3 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing:

5 ‘‘§ 1266. Shipment of alcohol to minors

6 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Whoever violates the labelling

7 requirements of subsection (b) or the age verification re8 quirements of subsection (d) shall be fined under this title

9 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. Whoever

10 violates the sender disclosure requirements of subsection

11 (c) or the adult signature requirements of subsection (e)

12 shall be fined under this title.

13 ‘‘(b) ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LABEL.—Any package

14 placed for shipment in interstate commerce that contains

15 any alcoholic beverage shall bear a conspicuous label, in

16 accordance with such regulations as the Secretary of the

17 Treasury may prescribe, stating that the package contains

18 an alcoholic beverage and that the signature of a person

19 of legal drinking age is required for delivery.

20 ‘‘(c) SENDER DISCLOSURE.—Any package placed for

21 shipment in interstate commerce that contains any alco22 holic beverage shall be accompanied by documentation

23 showing the full legal name and address of the person

24 placing the package for such shipment.

25 ‘‘(d) AGE VERIFICATION.—Whoever places for ship26 ment in interstate commerce a package containing any al-
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1 coholic beverage shall, prior to shipment, verify that the

2 recipient is of legal drinking age.

3 ‘‘(e) ADULT SIGNATURE REQUIRED.—Whoever deliv4 ers a package shipped in interstate commerce that con5 tains any alcoholic beverage and is labelled pursuant to

6 subsection (b) shall, upon delivery, obtain the signature

7 of a person of legal drinking age, and verify such age.

8 ‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section—

9 ‘‘(1) the term ‘alcoholic beverage’ means any

10 spiritous, vinous, malted, fermented, or other fer11 mented liquor, or any compound containing any

12 spiritous, vinous, malted, fermented, or other fer13 mented liquor fit for use for beverage purposes;

14 ‘‘(2) the term ‘legal drinking age’ means the

15 minimum lawful age for the purchase of an alcoholic

16 beverage in the State or locality to which the pack17 age is shipped; and

18 ‘‘(3) the term ‘verify’ means to confirm, by use

19 of official documentation establishing both age and

20 identity.’’.

21 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections

22 at the beginning of chapter 59 of title 18, United States

23 Code, is amended by adding after the item relating to sec24 tion 1265 the following:

‘‘1265. Shipment of alcohol to minors’’.

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