State lawmakers pass bill cracking down on sale of alcohol to minors following mother's plea

A grieving North Texas mother turned pain into action following the death of her teenage son. Senate Bill 650, also known as the Deshawn Jagwan Act, requires the use of electronic verification of a person’s age before the retail sale of alcoholic beverages.

NBC 5 first spoke with Deshawn’s mother shortly after his death. She sat down with us again for an interview following this move in the legislature.

“A lot of building him up to who he became at the age of 18 was done in this facility.”

A banner for the Deshawn Jagwan scholarship fund hangs inside the Duncanville Field House. Being inside the gym brought back memories for Deshawn’s mother, Charlotte Stephens.

“We actually have been in this gym since he was five. And when we come back here, it feels like home,” she said.

It was there that she said her son thrived.

“He was such a superb athlete and had such a future,” she said.

That was all cut short in 2022 when Deshawn didn’t return home from prom as a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School. He’d hit a tree and a pole after buying alcohol from a convenience store without being asked to present an ID.

“No parent wants to feel what I feel, and I don’t want a parent to ever feel this,” she said.

Stephens said she felt she had two choices: stay stuck or demand change.

“I made the decision pretty quickly because the option of pretending this didn’t happen was never an option,” Stephens said.

That grit resulted in The Deshawn Jagwan Act, passed in the latest legislative Session and sent to the Governor’s desk this week. Senate Bill 650 requires the use of electronic machines to verify a person’s age in the retail sale of alcoholic beverages. It also requires a second layer of verification, putting much of the onus on the store clerk.

“You will scan it, and you will do a visual verification of the ID that’s being presented to you. And I don’t think that’s too much to ask, right?” she said.

Lawmakers agreed with Stephens. The bill passed with bipartisan support and praise from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.

“We’re sending a strong message. If you’re selling liquor, you need to be sure no one under 21 is buying it,” said Patrick.

Senator Royce West released a statement to NBC 5 that reads:

“I am gratified that SB 650 has passed into law. This bill’s success was very much thanks to one determined mother who wanted to save lives after a tragedy befell her son. I’m very proud to have carried this bill. I also want to thank our House sponsor, Rhetta Bowers for her great work on this bill.”

Deshawn is missing from family photos, which now include a baby nephew. Still, his memory lives through videos, photos, and endless stories of time spent with family.

“I never get tired of seeing the reminders,” said Stephens, as she looked through pictures of her son.

Stephens tells NBC 5 her fight isn’t over. She’s also pushing for stricter training and enforcement within the TABC.

“I think he’s proud,” Stephens said of her son. “I think he’s incredibly proud.”