Maratita pens bill to remove mandatory ID check in buying tobacco, alcohol

Rep. Glenn L. Maratita (Ind-Tinian) has authored a bill this month to remove requirements that a person present his or her ID before buying an alcoholic beverage or a tobacco product.

House Bill 19-141, instead, amends current law so that sellers must exercise “prudent judgment,” and will not sell alcohol or tobacco without first demanding from a person “who obviously appears to be below 27 years of age” to present an valid ID of CNMI, U.S., or foreign governments showing them to be 21 years or older.

Further, the bill allows sellers to exercise prudent judgment so that they “may not reprise the demand” for a valid ID from the same person whose ID had been verified prior.

“As a result of the enforcement of the mandatory ID card requirement prior to selling any alcoholic beverage and tobacco products at the off-sale and on-sale licensed establishments,” the bill states, “there exist growing complaints in the community, specifically, from senior citizens and visiting tourists, as well as a growing adverse communication reaction with respect to the absurdness in demanding for a valid ID card on a daily basis from the same patron.”

The bill allows sellers to document the persons of legal age “in a ledger” who the seller is responsible for updating to make sure IDs are not expired. The ledger must be provided to a visiting Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco Control inspector during inspection and compliance rounds.