A Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board officer was unable to provide much clarity on a new Tennessee law and how it will affect area bar owners, restaurants, nonprofit groups and others that sell beer or alcohol as board members expressed confusion at Thursday's meeting.
Dallas' Law went into effect Jan. 1 and requires new trainings for bar bouncers and security personnel.
In a phone interview after the meeting, Beer Officer Jason Wood said any security company and personnel that check identification at an establishment selling alcohol must be compliant with the law. Anyone who may potentially fill in for a bouncer and check IDs at the door would also be required to get the training.
Failure to be Dallas' Law compliant results in a 30-day suspension of the beer and liquor license and a $25,000 fine, according to Wood.
"That is 100% my understanding," he said.
According to the law, security personnel and bouncers are required to complete training in de-escalation, safe restraint, first aid and CPR. They also must complete refresher training every two years and renew their license.
Named for Dallas Barrett, who died in 2021 after an altercation with security guards at a bar in Nashville, Dallas' Law "regulates armed and unarmed security guards, certified security guard trainers, contract security companies and proprietary security organizations ... that employ in-house security guards," according to the state Department of Commerce & Insurance.
Proprietary security organizations could include restaurants, churches or schools, and if they employ security, they would need to register with the department, according to a Dec. 6 post on the department's website.
Wood attended a training session in Nashville recently and said he still has questions about how the law should be enforced.
"I also wonder how many bar or restaurant owners even know about this," he said. "I didn't see any owners at the training."
"I want to make sure I'm 100% correct and applying the proper laws. I don't know many (establishments) that could take a $25,000 hit and a suspension of beer and liquor sales for 30 days. They still have rent due. The bills don't stop."
Curtis Greene, owner of Global Protective Services in Chattanooga, said all 15 of his guards have received the training. As a former law enforcement officer, he said much of it was a refresher course, but he is in favor of people going through it.
"I think it's a big deal when you are looking at the overall picture and the number of people out there who are untrained," he said by phone. "I think it was a plus. I don't see anything negative about it. You should get as much training as you possibly can."
Beer Board Chairwoman Monica Kinsey said during the meeting Thursday that she also doubted that many bar and restaurant owners had heard of the law or knew it has been in effect for a month.
"We need to notify them," she said at the meeting. "This could change staffing, pay rates, lots of things."
One of the topics discussed at the training session in Nashville, Wood said, was how the law affects charities, churches, schools and events such as Riverbend that might have an event with alcohol or beer once a year.
"That is a question that came up quite a bit," he said. "I believe they need to make sure their security is Dallas' Law compliant."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.