LA CROSSE, Wis. -- State lawmakers are looking to tighten up laws to stop adults from hosting underage drinking parties.

There is already a state law that prohibits adults older than 21 from allowing minors to drink on their premises.

But it's the definition of "premises" that some say doesn't go far enough.   

In Wisconsin, adults can legally host parties where underagers are drinking as long as they don't provide the alcohol.

A new law is looking to change that.

Executive Director of the Coulee Council on Addictions, Pat Ruda, says the new wording would broaden the law.

"It would speak to parents who are hosting parties or knowingly allowing underage kids to drink on their premises. In the past it was really talking about a licensed establishment," says Ruda.

Current law forbids minors from drinking on a "premises," which only applies to places with an alcohol permit -- not a private home.

The definition would be changed to include property that is owned by, or under the control of, an adult.

La Crosse Police Cpt. Jason Melby says an example of "controlling a property" is a tenant renting an apartment or a house.

"This specifically empowers law enforcement to make a little-bit broader connection between the location of the underage drinking and the individuals being there, giving rise to the citation," he says.

It's a broader piece of legislation than currently exists in the city of La Crosse.

"The avenues we currently have would be showing that a specific individual provided another specific individual alcohol, in which we would cite them for that," he says.

While the city of La Crosse already has ordinances that help law enforcement combat underage drinking,  Melby says it could still make a difference.

"This could become a little bit more of a powerful tool that would help us combat some of the house parties and underage drinking in our community," he says.

There are two counties in Wisconsin that have already tightened up their ordinances to include the new definition of "premises." Those counties are Manitowoc and Winnebago.

The proposed law is also already in place in 24 other states across the U.S.