A bill that would drop the legal age to bartend to 18 passed the Senate May 6 by a 14-5 vote with two not voting.

House Bill 195 passed the House in March 31-5 with five absent, but returns with a Senate amendment that clarifies an 18-year-old must no longer be in a secondary school in order to bartend.

This was done to prevent anyone still in high school from bartending, said Sen. Jack Walsh, D-Stanton, Senate sponsor of the bill.

The bill allows someone 18 to 20 to legally bartend in the state under the direct supervision of someone 21 or older.

Sen. Dave Lawson, R-Marydel, questioned reducing the age for bartending when bills to increase the age of gun owners have previously passed the body.

“We’ve worked other bills where 18, 19, 20 to 21-year-olds were ‘not mentally capable’ of handling responsibilities and possession of certain items. Do we think that they’re old enough and their brains developed enough to handle judging when a person is intoxicated and should not be served?” he said.

Walsh pointed out that training is required in order for the person to work as a bartender, and it was pointed out that the person would be supervised.

Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Camden, said working at a family-oriented restaurant that serves alcohol during dinner hours is different from working at a strictly 21-and-over bar that is open until after midnight. He said he supports small business but questioned allowing someone as young as 18 to work in a bar environment.

“There’s a good reason why they can’t, and that’s what deeply disturbs me about the bill,” he said.

HB 195 prevents anyone under the age of 21 from working in a bar or tavern that offers sexually oriented entertainment, such as strip clubs or gentlemen’s clubs.

Physician associate bill passes Senate

A bill allowing a physician assistant, now renamed a physician associate, to open their own practice passed the Senate May 6, and now awaits the governor’s signature to become law.

House Bill 325, sponsored by Rep. Alonna Berry, D-Milton, passed the Senate 20-1 after passing the House 38-0 with three absent in April.

The bill would require a licensed physician associate with more than 6,000 post-graduate clinical practice hours who intends to practice without a collaborative agreement to apply to the Regulatory Council for Physician Assistants for independent practice authority. 

Senate sponsor Sen. Nicole Poore, D-New Castle, said a PA would not bill the same as a doctor but they could “hang a shingle,” in reference to opening their own practice.