Bill allowing minors to serve alcohol passes Senate

The Senate was one vote shy of unanimously supporting a bill that would allow minors, or individuals who are aged below 21, to serve alcoholic beverages as a job.

In their session last Sept. 27, 2019, on Capital Hill, the Senate voted 8-1 to pass Rep. Joel Camacho’s (R-Saipan) House Bill 21-48, a bill that seeks to allow employers to hire individuals who are at least 18 years old to serve alcoholic beverages.

Current law sets the age of consent for alcohol at 21. H.B. 21-48 seeks to go around this prohibition by allowing those below 21 years old to be employed as waitstaff and be allowed to serve alcoholic drinks. The proposed law, however, would not allow them to mix the drinks.

Sen. Vinson Sablan (Ind-Saipan) voted against the measure.

“As I understand and acknowledge our workforce needs, which is what the bill is aimed to address, I felt I needed to stay consistent as I have advocated in the past [in] working with youth groups on the topic of minors and alcohol use,” he told Saipan Tribune in an interview. “In this particular case, I believe our hospitality industry and the individuals they employ are diverse enough to complement the needs of different establishments in the CNMI.”

In the purpose section of the bill, Camacho said the intent of the bill is to remove “hiring bias” when it comes to certain employment positions.

“I believe many of our young individuals as well as adults have a choice to be responsible,” he told Saipan Tribune, responding to a question of whether his legislation would prematurely introduce alcohol to individuals less than 21 years of age.

“This bill’s main intent is to remove the potential hiring bias that acts as a barrier that would help many young individuals attain meaningful employment and gain valuable work experience as they save up to go to college or other life endeavors,” he said.

Camacho shared a similar comment when the legislation first passed the House in a July 12, 2019 House session.

“I believe this is a good way to transition our people into the workforce in this 10-year transition period that was afforded to us by U.S. Congress,” he had said, referring to the law that extended the CNMI’s foreign worker program, CW, by 10 years.

The CW-1 program is the main visa used by foreign temporary workers in the CNMI.