In 2006 I was proud to sponsor and pass two bills addressing underage drinking in our state. HB3060 and HB3061, now a part of Tennessee Code, curtail the driving privileges of young people found guilty of underage drinking, as well as the driving privileges of the adults who buy them alcohol.
HB3061 takes away drivers licenses for one year from adults who buy alcohol for young people, and requires 200 hours of community service. HB3060 takes away for one year the driving privileges of young people who buy alcohol with fake ID's, in addition to requiring community service. These laws mark a change from previous statutes, which required only 30 days of service and had no loss of license penalty. The crime of buying alcohol for a minor remains a Class A misdemeanor.
Furthermore, the two bills garnered wide bipartisan support. More than twenty members of the House of Representatives signed on to each bill, with roughly half numbering Republican and half Democrat. I was glad to be able to bring my colleagues together across party lines.
For more information on the background of these bills, please see Cheryl Tatum's article in the Hendersonville Star News: 2006-06-02 One Year Later.Hdv Star.htm
The full text of both bills can be viewed here on the General Assembly website. HB3060: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB3060.pdf
HB3061: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB3061.pdf