EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0066*
SENATE BILL 66
A2 4lr0547
(PRE–FILED) CF 4lr1952
By: Senator Rosapepe
Requested: August 29, 2023
Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2024
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Prince George’s County – Alcoholic Beverages – Issuance of License Near a 2
Place of Worship or School 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing the Board of License Commissioners for Prince George’s 4
County to issue an alcoholic beverages license for an establishment that is within 5
certain distances of a place of worship or school building if a license of the same class 6
had been issued and was in effect for the establishment before the place of worship 7
or school building was built; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages licenses in 8
Prince George’s County. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 11
Section 26–102 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2016 Volume and 2023 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 16
Section 26–1604 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2016 Volume and 2023 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 22
26–102. 23
This title applies only in Prince George’s County. 24 2 SENATE BILL 66
26–1604. 1
(a) This section does not apply to: 2
(1) a holder of a Class B (RT) beer, wine, and liquor license, a Class BH 3
(hotel) license, a Class BLX license, a Class BCE license, a Class B–DD (development 4
district) license, a Class B–TP (theme park) license, a Class B–AE (arts and entertainment) 5
license, or a per diem license; 6
(2) an establishment that is within: 7
(i) the 500–foot restricted distance of a place of worship, if the 8
governing body of the place of worship consents in writing to the issuance of the license and 9
the consent is filed with the license application; or 10
(ii) the 1,000–foot restricted distance of a private kindergarten or 11
nursery school; 12
(3) a renewal or extension of a license issued for an establishment that is 13
within the 500–foot restricted distance of a place of worship or the 1,000–foot restricted 14
distance of a school building; 15
(4) (i) a transfer of a license within 1,000 feet of a place of worship or a 16
school building to another establishment within the same restricted distance; or 17
(ii) an assignee of a license within the same distance of the same 18
place of worship or school building; 19
(5) the issuance of a license for an establishment to which a license of the 20
same class had been issued and was in effect on June 1, 1965; [and] 21
(6) the renewal of a license if a place of worship or school was built within 22
1,000 feet of the establishment after the original issuance of the license; AND 23
(7) THE ISSUANCE OF A LICENSE FOR AN EST ABLISHMENT THAT IS 24
WITHIN 500 FEET OF A PLACE OF W ORSHIP OR WITHIN 1,000 FEET OF A SCHOOL 25
BUILDING IF A LICENSE OF THE SAM E CLASS HAD BEEN ISS UED AND WAS IN EFFEC T 26
FOR THE ESTABLISHMEN T BEFORE THE PLACE OF WORSHIP OR SCHOOL BU ILDING 27
WAS BUILT. 28
(b) (1) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this section, the Board 29
may not issue a license for an establishment that is within 500 feet of a place of worship or 30
within 1,000 feet of a school building. 31
SENATE BILL 66 3
(2) The distance from an establishment to a place of worship or school is to 1
be measured from the front door or main entrance of the establishment, whichever is 2
nearest the street abutting the site, along the nearest usual pedestrian route to: 3
(i) the closest door that is used as an entrance or exit to the school; 4
or 5
(ii) the main entrance of the place of worship. 6
(c) The restriction on the distance between the location of a school and a licensed 7
premises does not apply to a Class B–ECF/DS license. 8
(d) (1) In the part of the Gateway Arts and Entertainment District located in 9
Hyattsville, as designated by the Secretary of Commerce, the front door or main entrance 10
of an establishment for which a Class D beer and wine license is issued may be used if the 11
door or entrance is at least 350 feet from a place of worship. 12
(2) In College Park, the Board may issue a license for an establishment 13
that is more than 400 feet from a school building if the land on which the establishment is 14
located is in a commercial district. 15
(3) In Laurel, the Board may issue a license for an establishment 16
regardless of its distance from a place of worship. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 18
1, 2024. 19