PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Lawmakers approved a plan creating a statewide ban on pub crawls late Thursday night, sending it to the governor's desk.

The bill, proposed five years after a college student was struck and killed by a bus during a pub crawl in Newport, would put the onus on bar owners to enforce the rule or risk losing their liquor licenses.

Earlier this month, the House bill drew hours of debate, with critics arguing that such a ban would not prevent future tragedies. Lawmakers ultimately approved the measure on a 35-to-33 vote.

An identical bill generated little discussion in the Senate a few days later. And Thursday night, just before 11 p.m., the House approved the Senate's version with almost no debate.

In 2004, months after the death of Fairfield University student Francis J. Marx V, the General Assembly approved a law giving cities and towns the authority to ban such drinking events. Only a few, however, did.

If the governor allows the statewide ban to stand, communities won't have a choice.