HB 281-CIVIL LIABILITY FOR PROVIDING ALCOHOL  CHAIRMAN STEVENS announced HB 281 to be up for consideration. REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MEYER, sponsor of HB 281, said under this bill an adult who knowingly furnishes alcohol to a person under the age of 21 can be held civilly liable for the resulting damages. Under current statute right now we can only hold civilly liable the licensees that sell alcohol. This bill holds the general public to a similar standard as they are currently holding their licensee. However, this bill only impacts those adults who are knowingly furnishing alcohol to the minors. They are not going after the kid who sneaks a glass of champagne at the wedding reception or the parents who give their kids a glass of wine at dinner. This bill is after those who are waiting out in the parking lots on a Saturday night and buying alcohol for kids. This bill will deter some adults from furnishing alcohol to kids and will give kids less options to get the alcohol and it would provide recourse for the victims' families. The tragedy that happened last July in Anchorage, which took the lives of three teenagers and Anchorage Police Officer Justin Williams has once again highlighted the problem of underage drinking and the consequences of adults who knowingly provide the alcohol to minors. In this case, two adults were found guilty. I believe one was 30 and the other one was 31. MS. CINDY CASHEN, Mothers Against Drunk Driving - Juneau/Anchorage, supported HB 281, which will impact those without proper license who give to minors. By making this action a civil crime, victims from underage drinking may take action and receive due compensation from the illegal gift of alcohol. Now, its mission includes the prevention of underage drinking and this bill will assist in decreasing the availability of it to minors. MS. PAM WATTS, Executive Director, Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, supported HB 281 saying they appreciate Representative Meyers' recognition of the seriousness of adults furnishing alcohol to persons under the age of 21 and the need to hold those people accountable for the damages that might result from underage drinking. I think many adults who furnish alcohol to minors fail to realize the potential life threatening problems in providing alcohol to this population. Research indicates that drinking is associated with increased risk taking and sensation seeking on the part of adolescents who drink and, of course, it has disinhibiting effects that can increase the likelihood of engaging in unsafe activities. In 1997, 21% of young drivers 15 - 20 years of age who were killed in automobile accidents were intoxicated. Twenty-five percent of those were male and 12% were female. Research also shows that people who began drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than people who wait until they are 21. Each additional year of delaying the onset of drinking reduces the probability of alcohol dependence by 14%. Adolescents who drink heavily assume the same health risks that adults do and the adolescents who use alcohol earlier are more likely to become sexually active at an early age, have sex more often and engage in unprotected sex, which places them at greater risk for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. I think it's significant that 95% of the violent crime on college campuses is alcohol related and 90% of the college rapes involve alcohol use by the victim or the assailant. Suicide among Alaska youth is a very serious problem and alcohol use among adolescents has been associated with considering, planning and completing suicide. We know that the prevention programs are working that are in place, but we need your continued support and advocacy for resources to support those programs and to meet the community needs for appropriate levels of intervention and treatment for underage drinking problems. But the bottom line for this piece of legislation is that those adults who provide alcohol to underage drinkers assume a heavy responsibility and this legislation makes it clear what that responsibility is and the consequences associated with it. So, the Advisory Board strongly encourages your support for passage of this bill. SENTOR AUSTERMAN said he understands that right now you can file a liability against someone that provides alcohol under the same scenario and this bill just codifies it in law. REPRESENTATIVE MEYERS clarified that right now you can take a civil action against a licensee, but not adults. SENATOR AUSTERMAN asked if he gives alcohol to an underage person who then goes out and kills himself, can his parents sue him for that. REPRESENTATIVE MEYERS answered there could be criminal charges, but no civil action. CHAIRMAN STEVENS said that section 2 combined with subsection d on page 2, line 22, is the component that allows the individual recourse from the person that gave the alcohol to the minor. REPRESENTATIVE MEYERS said that was correct; it allows them to take civil action. He said that the drafting wasn't the clearest. SENATOR TORGERSON moved to pass HB 281 with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note. There were no objections and it was so ordered.