DELAWARE. - On March 12, the Delaware House of Representatives approved Bill 195, which lowers the legal bartending age and increases training frequencies.
The age of Delaware bartenders may get younger if House Bill 195 is passed, dropping the legal bartending age from 21 years old to 18.
Dina Escamilla, owner of the restaurant The Nook in Milton, says this could create a world of possibilities in terms of employment.
"I'm actually very excited," Escamilla tells CoastTV. "That opens the door for people who have better availability, because maybe they're in high school, maybe they're in college. They don't have kids yet. They don't need to run home."
Escamilla does acknowledge the possible dangers of dropping the legal age. However, she says this is where the responsibility of management comes into play.
"The main point of concern will be okay, you're a bartender, you're 18, you have a whole bunch of friends. You have somebody underage. Where do we draw the line? How do we establish this? Limits to make sure that you are not serving your friends who are underage yet, since now you have access to that forbidden fruit," Escamilla says.
The bill states that those who are bartending under 21-years old must be under the direct supervision of somebody who is over 21 years old. Additionally, the requirement for beverage serving to be completed every four years will be shortened to every two years.
President and CEO of the Delaware Restaurant Association Carrie Leishman says it's important to understand what 18-year-olds can and cannot do in the restaurant industry today.
"They can certainly bring a drink to a table and bus a table with drinks, but they can't be at a bar behind a bar," Leishman says. "They can't even stand at a bar or be seen behind a bar. So it's really a problem if you're a busser or if you're a bar back. You can't actually bring ice behind a bar if you're under 21. And really, that's the intent. That's what this bill is, meant to change."
Lee Miller says he is all for the possible change in legality.
"You're considered an adult at 18, but it's almost like you're not considered an adult," Miller says.
However, Leishman says she has doubts about what restaurants will do.
"I really don't think that you'll see responsible restaurants across the state hiring bartenders that are 18-years-old," Leishman says.
The new bill still needs to go through the Senate and be signed by the governor in order to be made official.Â