Bill Text: NY S06007 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Relates to the use of biometric identity verification devices for the purchase of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products; authorizes a licensee, its agent or employee to determine a person's age when purchasing alcoholic beverages or tobacco products by use of a biometric identity verification device; establishes where the use of the device indicates that the person is under the age of twenty-one, the attempted purchase of the alcoholic beverage shall be denied.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-25 - PRINT NUMBER 6007A [S06007 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S06007-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         6007--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
          ment Operations -- recommitted to the Committee on Investigations  and
          Government  Operations  in  accordance  with  Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --
          committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
          recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the alcoholic beverage control law and the public health
          law, in relation to the use of biometric identity verification devices
          for the purchase of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 65-b  of  the  alcoholic  beverage
     2  control law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
     3    (d) "Biometric identity verification device" means a commercial device
     4  that instantly verifies the identity and age of a person by an electron-
     5  ic  scan  of  a biometric of such person, via a fingerprint, iris image,
     6  facial image, or other biometric, or any combination thereof,  which  is
     7  referenced  against any record described in paragraph (b) of subdivision
     8  two of this section, where (i) the authenticity of the record was previ-
     9  ously verified by an electronic authentication process, (ii) the identi-
    10  ty of the record holder was previously verified through  a  commercially
    11  available  knowledge  based  electronic authentication process and (iii)
    12  the authenticated record was securely linked to biometrics contemporane-
    13  ously collected from the verified record  holder  and  is  stored  in  a
    14  centralized, highly secured, encrypted biometric database.
    15    §  2.  Subdivision 2 of section 65-b of the alcoholic beverage control
    16  law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
    17    (d) In lieu of or in addition to accepting written evidence of age  as
    18  set forth in paragraph (b) of this subdivision, a licensee, its agent or
    19  employee  may  determine  a  person's age by use of a biometric identity
    20  verification device. In any instance where the use of the  device  indi-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03916-04-0

        S. 6007--A                          2

     1  cates  that  the  person  is  under  the  age  of  twenty-one years, the
     2  attempted purchase of the alcoholic beverage shall be denied.
     3    §  3.  Subdivision 7 of section 65-b of the alcoholic beverage control
     4  law, as added by chapter 519 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read  as
     5  follows:
     6    7.  (a)  In  any  proceeding  pursuant  to  subdivision one of section
     7  sixty-five of this article, it shall be an affirmative defense that: (i)
     8  the licensee, its agent or employee had determined such person's age  by
     9  means  of  a  biometric identity verification device or that such person
    10  had produced a driver's license or non-driver identification card appar-
    11  ently issued by a governmental entity, successfully completed the trans-
    12  action scan, and (ii) that the alcoholic beverage had been sold,  deliv-
    13  ered  or  given  to  such person in reasonable reliance upon either such
    14  biometric identity verification device or such identification and trans-
    15  action  scan.  In  evaluating  the  applicability  of  such  affirmative
    16  defense,  the liquor authority shall take into consideration any written
    17  policy adopted and implemented by the seller to carry out the provisions
    18  of this chapter. Use of a transaction scan or biometric identity verifi-
    19  cation device shall not excuse any licensee under this chapter, or agent
    20  or employee of such licensee, from the exercise of reasonable  diligence
    21  otherwise   required   by   this   section.  Notwithstanding  the  above
    22  provisions, any such affirmative defense shall not be applicable in  any
    23  other civil or criminal proceeding, or in any other forum.
    24    (b)  A  licensee or agent or employee of a licensee may electronically
    25  or mechanically record and maintain only the information  obtained  from
    26  using  a  transaction  scan  or  biometric  identity verification device
    27  necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.  Such  information
    28  shall  be  limited to the following: (i) name, (ii) date of birth, (iii)
    29  driver's license or non-driver identification number, and  (iv)  expira-
    30  tion  date.  The  liquor  authority  and the state commissioner of motor
    31  vehicles shall jointly promulgate any regulation necessary to govern the
    32  recording and maintenance of these records  by  a  licensee  under  this
    33  chapter.  The  liquor  authority  and  the  commissioner of health shall
    34  jointly promulgate any regulations necessary to ensure  quality  control
    35  in  the  use of transaction scan devices or biometric identity verifica-
    36  tion devices.
    37    § 4. Subdivision 5 of section 1399-bb of the  public  health  law,  as
    38  amended  by  chapter  100  of  the  laws  of 2019, is amended to read as
    39  follows:
    40    5. The distribution of tobacco products or herbal cigarettes  pursuant
    41  to subdivision two of this section or the distribution without charge of
    42  electronic  cigarettes  shall  be  made only to an individual who demon-
    43  strates, through the use of a  biometric  identity  verification  device
    44  pursuant  to  section  thirteen  hundred ninety-nine-cc of this article,
    45  through a driver's license or  other  photographic  identification  card
    46  issued by a government entity or educational institution indicating that
    47  the  individual is at least twenty-one years of age. Such identification
    48  need not be required of any individual who reasonably appears to  be  at
    49  least  twenty-five years of age; provided, however, that such appearance
    50  shall not constitute a defense in any proceeding alleging the sale of  a
    51  tobacco  product,  electronic  cigarette  or  herbal  cigarette  or  the
    52  distribution without charge of electronic cigarettes to an individual.
    53    § 5. Subdivision 1 of section 1399-cc of  the  public  health  law  is
    54  amended by adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:
    55    (f) "Biometric identity verification device" means a commercial device
    56  that instantly verifies the identity and age of a person by an electron-

        S. 6007--A                          3

     1  ic  scan  of  a biometric of such person, via a fingerprint, iris image,
     2  facial image, or other biometric, or any combination thereof,  which  is
     3  referenced  against  any  record  described  subdivision  three  of this
     4  section,  where  (i) the authenticity of the record was previously veri-
     5  fied by electronic authentication process,  (ii)  the  identity  of  the
     6  record  holder  was previously verified through a commercially available
     7  knowledge based electronic authentication process and (iii) the  authen-
     8  ticated  record  was  securely  linked  to  biometrics contemporaneously
     9  collected from the verified record holder and is stored  in  a  central-
    10  ized, highly secured, encrypted biometric database.
    11    §  6.  Subdivision  3  of section 1399-cc of the public health law, as
    12  amended by chapter 100 of the laws  of  2019,  is  amended  to  read  as
    13  follows:
    14    3.  Sale  of  tobacco  products,  herbal  cigarettes, liquid nicotine,
    15  shisha or electronic cigarettes in such places, other than by a  vending
    16  machine,  shall  be made only to an individual who demonstrates, through
    17  (a) a valid driver's license or non-driver's identification card  issued
    18  by  the  commissioner  of  motor  vehicles,  the federal government, any
    19  United States territory, commonwealth or  possession,  the  District  of
    20  Columbia,  a  state  government within the United States or a provincial
    21  government of the dominion of Canada, [or] (b) a valid  passport  issued
    22  by  the United States government or any other country, [or] (c) an iden-
    23  tification card issued by the armed forces of the United States, or  (d)
    24  use  of  a  biometric  identity verification device, indicating that the
    25  individual is at least twenty-one years of age. Such identification need
    26  not be required of any individual who reasonably appears to be at  least
    27  twenty-five  years of age, provided, however, that such appearance shall
    28  not constitute a defense in any proceeding alleging the sale of a tobac-
    29  co product, herbal cigarettes, liquid  nicotine,  shisha  or  electronic
    30  cigarettes to an individual under twenty-one years of age.
    31    §  7. Subdivisions 4, 5, and 6 of section 1399-cc of the public health
    32  law, as amended by chapter 542 of the laws of 2014, are amended to  read
    33  as follows:
    34    4.  (a)  Any  person  operating  a  place  of business wherein tobacco
    35  products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic ciga-
    36  rettes are sold or offered for sale may perform a transaction scan as  a
    37  precondition  for  such purchases, or use a biometric identity verifica-
    38  tion device.
    39    (b) In any instance where the information  deciphered  by  the  trans-
    40  action  scan  fails  to  match  the  information printed on the driver's
    41  license or non-driver identification card, [or] if the transaction  scan
    42  indicates  that the information is false or fraudulent, or where the use
    43  of a biometric identity verification device indicates that the person is
    44  under the age of eighteen years of age, the attempted transaction  shall
    45  be denied.
    46    (c)  In  any  proceeding  pursuant to section thirteen hundred ninety-
    47  nine-ee of this article, it shall be an  affirmative  defense  that  the
    48  licensee,  or  agent  or  employee  of a licensee under this chapter had
    49  determined such person's age by means of a biometric identity  verifica-
    50  tion  device or that such person had produced a driver's license or non-
    51  driver identification card apparently issued by a  governmental  entity,
    52  successfully completed that transaction scan, and that the tobacco prod-
    53  uct,  herbal  cigarettes  or liquid nicotine had been sold, delivered or
    54  given to such person in reasonable reliance upon such identification and
    55  transaction scan. In evaluating the applicability  of  such  affirmative
    56  defense the commissioner shall take into consideration any written poli-

        S. 6007--A                          4

     1  cy adopted and implemented by the seller to effectuate the provisions of
     2  this  chapter. Use of a transaction scan or biometric identity verifica-
     3  tion device shall not excuse any person operating a  place  of  business
     4  wherein  tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or
     5  electronic cigarettes are sold, or the agent or employee of such person,
     6  from the exercise of reasonable diligence  otherwise  required  by  this
     7  chapter.  Notwithstanding  the  above  provisions,  any such affirmative
     8  defense shall not be applicable in any civil or criminal proceeding,  or
     9  in any other forum.
    10    5.  A  licensee or agent or employee of such licensee shall only use a
    11  device capable of deciphering any electronically readable  format  or  a
    12  biometric  identity verification device, and shall only use the informa-
    13  tion recorded and maintained through the use of such  devices,  for  the
    14  purposes  contained  in subdivision four of this section. No licensee or
    15  agent or employee of a licensee shall resell or disseminate the informa-
    16  tion recorded or obtained during such a scan or through  the  use  of  a
    17  biometric identity verification device to any third person. Such prohib-
    18  ited  resale  or dissemination includes but is not limited to any adver-
    19  tising,  marketing  or  promotional  activities.    Notwithstanding  the
    20  restrictions  imposed  by this subdivision, such records may be released
    21  pursuant to a court ordered subpoena or pursuant to  any  other  statute
    22  that  specifically  authorizes  the  release  of  such information. Each
    23  violation of this subdivision shall be punishable by a civil penalty  of
    24  not more than one thousand dollars.
    25    6.  A  licensee  or agent or employee of such a licensee may electron-
    26  ically or mechanically record and maintain only the information  from  a
    27  transaction  scan  or  use  of  a biometric identity verification device
    28  necessary to effectuate this section. Such information shall be  limited
    29  to  the  following: (a) name, (b) date of birth, (c) driver's license or
    30  non-driver identification number, and (d) expiration date.  The  commis-
    31  sioner and state commissioner of motor vehicles shall jointly promulgate
    32  any  regulations  necessary  to  govern the recording and maintenance of
    33  these records produced from a transaction scan by a licensee under  this
    34  chapter.  The  commissioner and the state liquor authority shall jointly
    35  promulgate any regulation necessary to ensure quality control in the use
    36  of the transaction scan devices under this chapter and article  five  of
    37  the alcoholic beverage control law.
    38    §  8.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    39  have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment  and/or
    40  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    41  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    42  on or before such effective date.
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