S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5983
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
March 4, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Economic Development
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:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 65-b of the alcoholic beverage
control law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
(D) "BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE" MEANS A COMMERCIAL DEVICE
THAT INSTANTLY VERIFIES THE IDENTITY AND AGE OF A PERSON BY AN ELECTRON-
IC SCAN OF A BIOMETRIC OF SUCH PERSON, VIA A FINGERPRINT, IRIS IMAGE,
FACIAL IMAGE, OR OTHER BIOMETRIC, OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF, WHICH IS
REFERENCED AGAINST ANY RECORD DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION
TWO OF THIS SECTION, WHERE (I) THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE RECORD WAS PREVI-
OUSLY VERIFIED BY AN ELECTRONIC AUTHENTICATION PROCESS, (II) THE IDENTI-
TY OF THE RECORD HOLDER WAS PREVIOUSLY VERIFIED THROUGH A COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE BASED ELECTRONIC AUTHENTICATION PROCESS AND (III)
THE AUTHENTICATED RECORD WAS SECURELY LINKED TO BIOMETRICS CONTEMPORANE-
OUSLY COLLECTED FROM THE VERIFIED RECORD HOLDER.
§ 2. Subdivision 2 of section 65-b of the alcoholic beverage control
law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
(D) IN LIEU OF OR IN ADDITION TO ACCEPTING WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF AGE AS
SET FORTH IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, A LICENSEE, ITS AGENT OR
EMPLOYEE MAY DETERMINE A PERSON'S AGE BY USE OF A BIOMETRIC IDENTITY
VERIFICATION DEVICE. IN ANY INSTANCE WHERE THE USE OF THE DEVICE INDI-
CATES THAT THE PERSON IS UNDER THE AGE OF TWENTY-ONE YEARS, THE
ATTEMPTED PURCHASE OF THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE SHALL BE DENIED.
§ 3. Subdivision 7 of section 65-b of the alcoholic beverage control
law, as added by chapter 519 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as
follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05629-02-1
A. 5983 2
7. (a) In any proceeding pursuant to subdivision one of section
sixty-five of this article, it shall be an affirmative defense that: (I)
THE LICENSEE, ITS AGENT OR EMPLOYEE HAD DETERMINED SUCH PERSON'S AGE BY
MEANS OF A BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE OR THAT such person
had produced a driver's license or non-driver identification card appar-
ently issued by a governmental entity, successfully completed the trans-
action scan, and (II) that the alcoholic beverage had been sold, deliv-
ered or given to such person in reasonable reliance upon EITHER such
BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE OR SUCH identification and trans-
action scan. In evaluating the applicability of such affirmative
defense, the liquor authority shall take into consideration any written
policy adopted and implemented by the seller to carry out the provisions
of this chapter. Use of a transaction scan OR BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFI-
CATION DEVICE shall not excuse any licensee under this chapter, or agent
or employee of such licensee, from the exercise of reasonable diligence
otherwise required by this section. Notwithstanding the above
provisions, any such affirmative defense shall not be applicable in any
other civil or criminal proceeding, or in any other forum.
(b) A licensee or agent or employee of a licensee may electronically
or mechanically record and maintain only the information OBTAINED from
USING a transaction scan OR BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE
necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section. Such information
shall be limited to the following: (i) name, (ii) date of birth, (iii)
driver's license or non-driver identification number, and (iv) expira-
tion date. The liquor authority and the state commissioner of motor
vehicles shall jointly promulgate any regulation necessary to govern the
recording and maintenance of these records by a licensee under this
chapter. The liquor authority and the commissioner of health shall
jointly promulgate any regulations necessary to ensure quality control
in the use of transaction scan devices OR BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICA-
TION DEVICES.
§ 4. Subdivision 5 of section 1399-bb of the public health law, as
amended by section 4 of part EE of chapter 56 of the laws of 2020, is
amended to read as follows:
5. The distribution of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, vapor
products intended or reasonably expected to be used with or for the
consumption of nicotine, or herbal cigarettes pursuant to subdivision
two of this section or the distribution without charge of electronic
cigarettes, or vapor products intended or reasonably expected to be used
with or for the consumption of nicotine, shall be made only to an indi-
vidual who demonstrates, THROUGH THE USE OF A BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFI-
CATION DEVICE PURSUANT TO SECTION THIRTEEN HUNDRED NINETY-NINE-CC OF
THIS ARTICLE, through (a) a driver's license or non-driver identifica-
tion card issued by the commissioner of motor vehicles, the federal
government, any United States territory, commonwealth, or possession,
the District of Columbia, a state government within the United States,
or a provincial government of the dominion of Canada, (b) a valid pass-
port issued by the United States government or the government of any
other country, or (c) an identification card issued by the armed forces
of the United States, indicating that the individual is at least twen-
ty-one years of age. Such identification need not be required of any
individual who reasonably appears to be at least twenty-five years of
age; provided, however, that such appearance shall not constitute a
defense in any proceeding alleging the sale of a tobacco product, elec-
tronic cigarette, vapor product intended or reasonably expected to be
used with or for the consumption of nicotine, or herbal cigarette or the
A. 5983 3
distribution without charge of electronic cigarettes, or vapor products
intended or reasonably expected to be used with or for the consumption
of nicotine to an individual.
§ 5. Subdivision 1 of section 1399-cc of the public health law is
amended by adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:
(F) "BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE" MEANS A COMMERCIAL DEVICE
THAT INSTANTLY VERIFIES THE IDENTITY AND AGE OF A PERSON BY AN ELECTRON-
IC SCAN OF A BIOMETRIC OF SUCH PERSON, VIA A FINGERPRINT, IRIS IMAGE,
FACIAL IMAGE, OR OTHER BIOMETRIC, OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF, WHICH IS
REFERENCED AGAINST ANY RECORD DESCRIBED SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS
SECTION, WHERE (I) THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE RECORD WAS PREVIOUSLY VERI-
FIED BY ELECTRONIC AUTHENTICATION PROCESS, (II) THE IDENTITY OF THE
RECORD HOLDER WAS PREVIOUSLY VERIFIED THROUGH A COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE
KNOWLEDGE BASED ELECTRONIC AUTHENTICATION PROCESS AND (III) THE AUTHEN-
TICATED RECORD WAS SECURELY LINKED TO BIOMETRICS CONTEMPORANEOUSLY
COLLECTED FROM THE VERIFIED RECORD HOLDER.
§ 6. Subdivision 3 of section 1399-cc of the public health law, as
amended by chapter 100 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as
follows:
3. Sale of tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine,
shisha or electronic cigarettes in such places, other than by a vending
machine, shall be made only to an individual who demonstrates, through
(a) a valid driver's license or non-driver's identification card issued
by the commissioner of motor vehicles, the federal government, any
United States territory, commonwealth or possession, the District of
Columbia, a state government within the United States or a provincial
government of the dominion of Canada, [or] (b) a valid passport issued
by the United States government or any other country, [or] (c) an iden-
tification card issued by the armed forces of the United States, OR (D)
USE OF A BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE, indicating that the
individual is at least twenty-one years of age. Such identification need
not be required of any individual who reasonably appears to be at least
twenty-five years of age, provided, however, that such appearance shall
not constitute a defense in any proceeding alleging the sale of a tobac-
co product, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic
cigarettes to an individual under twenty-one years of age.
§ 7. Subdivisions 4, 5, and 6 of section 1399-cc of the public health
law, as amended by chapter 542 of the laws of 2014, are amended to read
as follows:
4. (a) Any person operating a place of business wherein tobacco
products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or electronic ciga-
rettes are sold or offered for sale may perform a transaction scan as a
precondition for such purchases, OR USE A BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICA-
TION DEVICE.
(b) In any instance where the information deciphered by the trans-
action scan fails to match the information printed on the driver's
license or non-driver identification card, [or] if the transaction scan
indicates that the information is false or fraudulent, OR WHERE THE USE
OF A BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE INDICATES THAT THE PERSON IS
UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, the attempted transaction shall
be denied.
(c) In any proceeding pursuant to section thirteen hundred ninety-
nine-ee of this article, it shall be an affirmative defense that THE
LICENSEE, OR AGENT OR EMPLOYEE OF A LICENSEE UNDER THIS CHAPTER HAD
DETERMINED SUCH PERSON'S AGE BY MEANS OF A BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICA-
TION DEVICE OR THAT such person had produced a driver's license or non-
A. 5983 4
driver identification card apparently issued by a governmental entity,
successfully completed that transaction scan, and that the tobacco prod-
uct, herbal cigarettes or liquid nicotine had been sold, delivered or
given to such person in reasonable reliance upon such identification and
transaction scan. In evaluating the applicability of such affirmative
defense the commissioner shall take into consideration any written poli-
cy adopted and implemented by the seller to effectuate the provisions of
this chapter. Use of a transaction scan OR BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICA-
TION DEVICE shall not excuse any person operating a place of business
wherein tobacco products, herbal cigarettes, liquid nicotine, shisha or
electronic cigarettes are sold, or the agent or employee of such person,
from the exercise of reasonable diligence otherwise required by this
chapter. Notwithstanding the above provisions, any such affirmative
defense shall not be applicable in any civil or criminal proceeding, or
in any other forum.
5. A licensee or agent or employee of such licensee shall only use a
device capable of deciphering any electronically readable format OR A
BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE, and shall only use the informa-
tion recorded and maintained through the use of such devices, for the
purposes contained in subdivision four of this section. No licensee or
agent or employee of a licensee shall resell or disseminate the informa-
tion recorded OR OBTAINED during such a scan OR THROUGH THE USE OF A
BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE to any third person. Such prohib-
ited resale or dissemination includes but is not limited to any adver-
tising, marketing or promotional activities. Notwithstanding the
restrictions imposed by this subdivision, such records may be released
pursuant to a court ordered subpoena or pursuant to any other statute
that specifically authorizes the release of such information. Each
violation of this subdivision shall be punishable by a civil penalty of
not more than one thousand dollars.
6. A licensee or agent or employee of such a licensee may electron-
ically or mechanically record and maintain only the information from a
transaction scan OR USE OF A BIOMETRIC IDENTITY VERIFICATION DEVICE
necessary to effectuate this section. Such information shall be limited
to the following: (a) name, (b) date of birth, (c) driver's license or
non-driver identification number, and (d) expiration date. The commis-
sioner and state commissioner of motor vehicles shall jointly promulgate
any regulations necessary to govern the recording and maintenance of
these records PRODUCED FROM A TRANSACTION SCAN by a licensee under this
chapter. The commissioner and the state liquor authority shall jointly
promulgate any regulation necessary to ensure quality control in the use
of the transaction scan devices under this chapter and article five of
the alcoholic beverage control law.
§ 8. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such effective date.