2013 WISCONSIN ACT 65
An Act to create 125.07 (3) (a) 15., 125.07 (4) (bg) and 125.07 (4) (f) of the statutes; relating to: alcohol beverages violations involving underage persons on licensed premises.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
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Section
1. 125.07 (3) (a) 15. of the statutes is created to read:
125.07 (3) (a) 15. An underage person employed by or assisting a law enforcement agency in carrying out enforcement activities to determine compliance with, or investigate potential violations of, the provisions of this section.
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2. 125.07 (4) (bg) of the statutes is created to read:
125.07 (4) (bg) Paragraphs (a) and (b) do not apply to an underage person employed by or assisting a law enforcement agency in carrying out enforcement activities to determine compliance with, or investigate potential violations of, the provisions of this section.
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3. 125.07 (4) (f) of the statutes is created to read:
125.07 (4) (f) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., and subject to subds. 3. to 5., if an underage person engages in conduct that violates par. (a) on the premises of a licensee, the licensee may bring a civil action against the underage person. If judgment is entered in favor of the licensee, the court shall award to the licensee damages in the amount of $1,000 and, notwithstanding s. 814.04 (1), the costs of the action. A licensee may bring an action under this paragraph regardless of whether the underage person has been convicted of, or received a citation for, the violation of par. (a), but the licensee has the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the underage person's conduct was in violation of par. (a).
2. If the underage person who engages in conduct that violates par. (a) on the licensee's premises is less than 18 years of age and is not an emancipated minor, the licensee may bring the civil action against the underage person's parent, as defined in s. 46.56 (1) (j).
3. A licensee may not bring a civil action under this paragraph unless the licensee has first provided notice to the underage person or the underage person's parent, as applicable, of the licensee's intent to bring the action. The notice shall be mailed to the last-known address of the underage person or underage person's parent, as applicable, at least 15 days prior to filing the action and shall include a demand for the relief described in subd. 1. The department may, by rule, prescribe a form for this notice.
4. A licensee may not bring a civil action under this paragraph if the licensee has been convicted of, or received a citation for or been charged with, a violation of sub. (1) or (3) related to the same incident, occurrence, or conduct giving rise to the underage person's violation of par. (a), unless the licensee is entitled to a defense under sub. (6). A licensee that asserts a defense under sub. (6) has the burden of proving the defense by a preponderance of the evidence.
5. A licensee may not bring a civil action under this paragraph unless the licensee or the licensee's employee reports to law enforcement the conduct suspected to be in violation of par. (a) at or near the time that the conduct occurs or is first discovered.
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4.
Initial applicability.
(1) The treatment of section 125.07 (4) (f) of the statutes first applies to violations of section 125.07 (4) (a) of the statutes committed on the effective date of this subsection.
