A bill to establish a national minimum drinking age of 21.

Summary

Prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21 if the beverage has traveled in interstate commerce or if the sale or offer of sale is made in an establishment which is in or affects interstate commerce. Subjects violators to a maximum civil penalty of $5,000. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to assess such penalty by an order made on the record after opportunity for a hearing in accordance with specified law. Prescribes due process procedures for assessing such penalties. Authorizes the Secretary to compromise or modify such penalties. Authorizes judicial review for persons aggrieved by civil penalty assessments. Restricts petitions for such judicial review to a specified time period. Directs the Attorney General to recover penalties in arrears in a civil action in Federal district court. Authorizes citizens' civil actions to enjoin alleged violators of the alcoholic beverage proscription under this statute. Prescribes procedure and appropriate venue for such civil actions. Confers jurisdiction upon Federal district courts over such suits, without regard to amount in controversy or citizenship of the parties. Authorizes the court to award the plaintiff attorney's fees, court costs, and expert witness fees.

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Timeline

1. 7 October 1983

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 7 October 1983

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 14 June 1984

   Committee

   Subcommittee on Surface Transportation. Hearings held.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

1 official file

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 7 October 1983

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Sen. Lugar, Richard G. [R-IN] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Burdick, Quentin N. [D-ND] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Heinz, John [R-PA] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Proxmire, William [D-WI] · D · Cosponsor
• Sen. Bradley, Bill [D-NJ] · D · Cosponsor
• · sscm00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → A bill to restrict the sales of alcoholic beverages in interstate commerce.