New Law Would Require Bartenders To Tell You When You've Had Enough To Drink

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- It could be 'last call' a lot sooner than some bar-goers expected.

New legislation on tap at California bars would make it mandatory for servers to intervene when a customer has had too much to drink.

It's Assembly Bill 2121, the Responsible Interventions for Beverage Servers Training Act.

Eighteen other states already practice this law.

The bill would require any establishment that serves alcohol to certify that its employees have completed "responsible interventions for beverage servers" training.

It's legislation aimed at cutting down on those being over-served, DUI's and alcohol-related deaths.

"It's common sense to me," said Kristin Heidelbach. "That you know looking at someone - we've all been in that situation - where you see someone clearly who's had too much alcohol."

Servers would have three months to complete the training after they're hired and must take a refresher course every three years.

At first some servers complained it was too much.

Sam Hubbard, Sr. has been an instructor at the Sacramento School of Bartending for 5 years. He believes this proposal has the potential to save lives.

"This may be somebody's worst night of their life where they screw everything up and you're the person who could've maybe helped change that."

If passed the law would go into effect in 2020.