AP Wire

House backs striking jail time from underage drinking

by The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Underage Louisianans caught with alcohol can face up to six months in jail under current state law, but that will soon change if lawmakers in the state House have their way.

A bill from Rep. Franklin Foil, a Baton Rouge Republican, would remove that possibility for jail time if a person under 21 years old is found in possession of an alcoholic beverage. The violation would still carry a fine up to $100.

The House supported the proposal Wednesday in a 99-0 vote. It moves next to the Senate for consideration.

If the proposal gets final legislative passage, law enforcement could continue to cite offenders, but the citation would not appear on a person's criminal history record.