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HB195 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BARTENDING.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BARTENDING.

Children
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Passed By House. Votes: 32 YES 6 NO 1 NOT VOTING 2 ABSENT
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information on consequences for violations of supervision requirements or potential impacts on job interest, leaving these points open to interpretation.

Changing the Age to Work as a Bartender in Delaware

This act lowers the minimum age for bartending from 21 to 18 years old and sets new rules for training and supervision, while also prohibiting minors from entering or working in establishments that offer sexually oriented entertainment.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the minimum age to work as a bartender from 21 to 18 years old.
  • Requires that bartenders aged 18, 19, or 20 must be supervised by someone who is at least 21 years old while working behind the bar.
  • Increases mandatory training for serving alcoholic drinks from every four years to every two years.
  • Prohibits anyone under 21 from entering or working in taverns and taprooms that offer sexually oriented entertainment.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People aged 18, 19, or 20 who want to work as bartenders
  • Establishments serving alcoholic drinks
  • Taverns and taprooms offering sexually oriented entertainment

Terms To Know

Taverns and Taprooms
Places where people can buy and drink alcohol.
Sexually Oriented Entertainment
Entertainment that includes sexually explicit content or performances.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a bartender under 21 is found working without proper supervision.
  • It's unclear how this change will affect the number of people interested in bartending jobs.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SA 1

1 • Walsh

Passed

Plain English: Passed 1 by Walsh

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 32 YES 6 NO 1 NOT VOTING 2 ABSENT

  2. 2026-05-06 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 1 to HB 195 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

  3. 2026-05-06 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 14 YES 5 NO 2 NOT VOTING

  4. 2026-04-22 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology) in Senate with 2 Favorable, 3 On Its Merits

  5. 2026-04-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Amendment SA 1 to HB 195 - Introduced and Placed With Bill

  6. 2026-03-12 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 31 YES 5 NO 5 ABSENT

  7. 2026-03-12 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology Committee in Senate

  8. 2026-01-20 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce) in House with 6 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits

  9. 2025-06-05 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee in House

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 4 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO BARTENDING.
This Act changes the age at which a person can bartend from 21 years old to 18 years old, and requires that a bartender who is 18, 19, or 20 years old be directly supervised by a person who is 21 years of age or older and who is working behind the bar with the 18-, 19-, or 20-year-old. This Act also increases the frequency of statutorily mandated alcoholic beverage server training from every 4 years to every 2 years.

To ensure that 18–20-year-olds are protected from sexually oriented content by virtue of being permitted to bartend, this Act prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from entering into or working in any capacity in a tavern or taproom that offers sexually oriented entertainment. This includes taverns and taprooms that are licensed as adult entertainment establishments under Chapter 16 of Title 24, taverns and taprooms that offer sexually explicit performances as defined in § 787 of Title 11, and tavern and taprooms that are advertised as “strip clubs,” “adult entertainment clubs,” “gentlemen’s clubs,” or that offer performances or services of a sexually oriented nature.

Currently, Delaware is in the minority of states when it comes to requiring bartenders to be 21 years old. By reducing the legal bartending age to 18, this Act will help Delaware’s food service industry remain competitive with the many other states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in which 18–20-year-olds can bartend.