Exemption from license suspension or revocation; mitigation for certain beverage law violations; records of arrests.

(1) The license of a vendor qualified as a responsible vendor under this act may not be suspended or revoked for an employee’s illegal sale or service of an alcoholic beverage to a person who is not of lawful drinking age or for an employee’s engaging in or permitting others to engage in the illegal sale, use of, or trafficking in controlled substances, if the employee had completed the applicable training prescribed by this act prior to committing such violation, unless the vendor had knowledge of the violation, should have known about such violation, or participated in or committed such violation. No vendor may use as a defense to suspension or revocation the fact that she or he was absent from the licensed premises at the time a violation of the Beverage Law occurred if the violations are flagrant, persistent, repeated, or recurring.

(2) The division shall consider qualification as a responsible vendor in mitigation of administrative penalties for an employee’s illegal sale or service of an alcoholic beverage to a person who is not of lawful drinking age and if the vendor has administered the applicable courses for controlled substances, for an employee’s engaging in the illegal sale, use of, or trafficking in controlled substances.

(3) The division shall maintain a record of each arrest of a vendor or an employee for a violation of s. 562.11, and shall ascertain at the time of the arrest whether the vendor has provided training for its employees as provided in s. 561.705 or pursuant to any other program instituted by the vendor. In compiling the record of arrests, the division shall determine if the vendor trained its employees as provided in s. 561.705, pursuant to any other training program, or did not train its employees in a manner similar to the provisions of s. 561.705. The records may be examined by any interested person.