Underage Persons in Nightclubs (H 5548, S 488)

For the third year in a row, the General Assembly debated whether to allow 18-20 year olds to enter nightclubs in order to address the problem of underage drinking. Under current law, supported by the ACLU, young adults are allowed to patronize these establishments in part because the state’s public accommodations law prohibits age-based discrimination against adults over the age of 18.  The Affiliate has long argued that in addition to serving alcohol, these nightclubs feature live music, dancing, and other entertainment activities which young adults should not be barred from participating in solely because of their age.  Through significant work between the Affiliate and the sponsors of the bill, the legislation enacted this year features a number of protections ensuring that nightclubs will only be barred from admitting young adults when there has been an uncorrected pattern of violence or alcohol being served to youth at the establishment.