California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2121


Introduced by Assembly Member Gonzalez

(Coauthor: Senator Pan)

February 17, 2016


An act to add Article 4 (commencing with Section 25680) to Chapter 16 of Division 9 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to alcoholic beverages.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2121, as introduced, Gonzalez. Alcoholic beverage control: Responsible Interventions for Beverage Servers Training Act of 2016.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the granting of licenses for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages within the state. Under existing law, any on-sale license authorizes the sale of the alcoholic beverage specified in the license for consumption on the premises where sold and applications for the issuance or renewal of that license are signed under the penalty of perjury. Currently, the Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) program is a voluntary prevention and education program for retail licensees, their employees, and applicants, regarding alcohol responsibility and the law.

This bill would, in addition to the LEAD program, establish the Responsible Interventions for Beverage Servers (RIBS) Training Act of 2016, beginning July 1, 2020, that would require a person who sells or serves alcoholic beverages, or who manages persons who sell or serve, in an on-sale retail licensed premises to successfully complete an approved RIBS training course within 3 months of employment and every 3 years thereafter. The bill would provide that an approved RIBS training course include information on, among other things, state laws and regulations relating to alcoholic beverage control and the impact of alcohol on the body. The bill would require the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, on or before January 1, 2020, to establish a list published on the department’s Internet Web site of approved RIBS training courses and to provide information on RIBS training requirements on applications for, and renewals of, on-sale licenses. The bill would also require new applicants and renewal applicants to certify, and provide the department with documentation, that its employees have successfully completed a RIBS training course. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
2Responsible Interventions for Beverage Servers Training Act of
32016.

4

SEC. 2.  

Article 4 (commencing with Section 25680) is added
5to Chapter 16 of Division 9 of the Business and Professions Code,
6to read:

7 

8Article 4.  Responsible Interventions for Beverage Servers
9(RIBS) Training Act of 2016
10

 

11

25680.  

For purposes of this article, “RIBS training course”
12means a Responsible Interventions for Beverage Servers training
13course approved by the department pursuant to Section 25682.

14

25681.  

(a) Beginning July 1, 2020, a person who sells or serves
15alcoholic beverages, or a person who manages a person who sells
16or serves alcoholic beverages, for consumption on the premises
17of an on-sale retail licensee shall successfully complete an approved
P3    1RIBS training course within three months of employment and
2every three years thereafter.

3(b) The on-sale retail licensee shall ensure that those persons
4required to successfully complete an approved RIBS training course
5do so. A certificate provided by the training course provider shall
6be sufficient documentation of successful completion.

7

25682.  

(a) On or before January 1, 2020, the department shall
8establish a list, published on the department’s Internet Web site,
9of approved RIBS training courses that may be used to fulfill the
10requirements of Section 25681.

11(b) (1) An approved RIBS training course shall consist of at
12least four hours of instruction and include, but shall not be limited
13to, the following information:

14(A) The social impact of alcohol.

15(B) The impact of alcohol on the body.

16(C) State laws and regulations relating to alcoholic beverage
17control, including laws and regulations related to driving under
18the influence.

19(D) Intervention techniques to prevent the service or sale of
20alcoholic beverages to underage persons or intoxicated patrons.

21(E) The development of management policies that support the
22prevention of service or sale of alcoholic beverages to underage
23persons or intoxicated patrons.

24(2) The department may, by regulation, establish additional
25training standards and curricula to be included in an approved
26RIBS training course.

27(c) The department shall review an approved RIBS training
28course at least once every three years after the course is approved.

29

25683.  

(a) Beginning January 1, 2020, the department shall
30include information on the RIBS training course requirement
31pursuant to Section 25681, including information on documentation
32requirements, on the application for an on-sale retail license and
33with the license renewal notices sent to on-sale retail licensees.

34(b) Beginning January 1, 2020, an on-sale retail licensee
35applying for a new license shall certify on the application that all
36employees of the licensee subject to Section 25681 either have
37successfully completed a RIBS training course or, within the first
38calendar year of the issuance of the license, will have successfully
39completed a RIBS training course. The licensee shall provide the
40department with documentation of successful completion.

P4    1(c) Beginning January 1, 2020, an on-sale retail licensee
2applying for the renewal of the license shall certify on the
3application, and provide the department with documentation, that
4all employees of the licensee subject to Section 25681 have
5successfully completed a RIBS training course.

6

SEC. 3.  

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
7Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
8the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
9district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
10infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
11for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
12the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
13the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
14Constitution.



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