New Hampshire Senate Bill SB24

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/7/25
• Refer: 1/7/25
• Report Pass: 1/28/25
• Engrossed: 3/28/25
• Refer: 3/28/25
• Report Pass: 5/28/25
• Enrolled: 7/7/25
• Chaptered: 7/22/25
• Passed: 7/22/25

Caption

Allowing students under age 21 to taste wine in educational settings.

Summary

SB 24 creates a narrow exception to New Hampshire’s under-21 alcohol possession and service laws for certain students in higher education. It allows qualified students who are at least 18 years old to taste, but not swallow, alcoholic beverages in controlled educational settings at accredited public colleges or universities that offer associate or bachelor’s degree programs in enology or brewing. The tasting must be part of a required course, for educational purposes, and conducted under the control of an instructor who is at least 21 years old. Before participating, students must complete an alcohol education program provided by the liquor commission. The bill also requires institutions to keep detailed tasting records and make them available to the liquor commission upon request. The institution may not charge students for the alcohol, and the activity must take place on property owned and controlled by the institution. The bill expressly states that no liquor license or permit is required for these authorized tastings so long as no extra fee is imposed.

Impact

The bill amends RSA 179 by adding a new section authorizing limited alcohol tasting by minors in educational programs and by carving out exceptions from the general prohibition on under-21 possession and sales. It also revises the unlawful possession and prohibited sales provisions to cross-reference the new educational exception, while preserving the general ban on underage possession, intoxication, and alcohol service outside the narrow circumstances allowed by the bill. In practical terms, it affects public colleges and universities with enology or brewing programs, qualified students age 18 and older, instructors, and the liquor commission, which gains oversight through the required education program and record access.

Sentiment

The available record suggests the bill was treated as a targeted, technical education-related measure rather than a broadly controversial alcohol policy change. Its language is tightly limited to accredited public institutions and curriculum-based tastings, indicating an effort to balance educational needs with underage drinking restrictions. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no documented floor debate or recorded opposition in the supplied materials.

Contention

The main policy tension in SB 24 is between allowing hands-on wine or alcohol instruction for students in enology or brewing programs and maintaining the state’s general prohibition on alcohol possession and consumption by people under 21. Potential points of concern include whether the exception could be expanded beyond its intended scope, whether institutions can adequately supervise tastings, and whether the liquor commission’s oversight and recordkeeping requirements are sufficient. The bill’s supporters appear to favor the educational exception for workforce training, while any opposition would likely focus on underage alcohol exposure and enforcement concerns; however, no specific objections are documented in the provided materials.