Students in hotel management or culinary arts programs: tastings.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act provides that any person under 21 years of age who purchases any alcoholic beverage, who consumes any alcoholic beverage in any on-sale premises, or who possesses any alcoholic beverage on any street or highway or in any public place or any place open to the public is guilty of a misdemeanor. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act provides that every person who sells, furnishes, gives, or causes to be sold, furnished, or given away any alcoholic beverage to any person under 21 years of age is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law allows a qualified student to taste an alcoholic beverage and exempts the student and the qualified academic institution in which the student is enrolled from criminal prosecution under the above-described provisions if, among other requirements, the qualified academic institution has established an associate's degree or bachelor's degree program in enology or brewing that is designed to train industry professionals in the production of wine or beer and the qualified student tastes the alcoholic beverage for educational purposes in a course required by the degree program. This bill would additionally allow a qualified student to taste an alcoholic beverage and exempts the student and the qualified academic institution in which the student is enrolled from criminal prosecution if the qualified academic institution has established an associate's degree or bachelor's degree program in hotel management or culinary arts, as provided.