Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB503 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3		EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4		[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5		-	Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
6		-	Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
7		-	amendment.
8	5		sb0503
9	6
10	7		SENATE BILL 503
11	8		A2 5lr1925
12	9		SB 855/24 – FIN & EEE CF HB 481
13	10		By: Washington County Senators
14	11		Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
15	12		Assigned to: Finance and Education, Energy, and the Environment
16		-	Committee Report: Favorable
17		-	Senate action: Adopted
18		-	Read second time: February 16, 2025
19	13
20		-	~~CHAPTER ______~~
	14	+	A BILL ENTITLED
21	15
22	16		AN ACT concerning 1
23	17
24	18		Washington County – Board of License Commissioners – Membership 2
25	19
26	20		FOR the purpose of requiring that certain numbers of members of the Board of License 3
27	21		Commissioners for Washington County belong to certain political parties; and 4
28	22		generally relating to the membership of the Board of License Commissioners for 5
29	23		Washington County. 6
30	24
31	25		BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
32	26		Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 8
33	27		Section 31–102 and 31–201 9
34	28		Annotated Code of Maryland 10
35	29		(2024 Replacement Volume) 11
36	30
37	31		BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
38	32		Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 13
39	33		Section 31–202 14
40	34		Annotated Code of Maryland 15
41	35		(2024 Replacement Volume) 16
42	36
43	37		SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
44	38		That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
45	39
46	40		Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 19
47	41
48		-	31–102. 20 2 SENATE BILL 503
	42	+	31–102. 20
	43	+
	44	+	This title applies only in Washington County. 21
	45	+
	46	+	31–201. 22
	47	+
	48	+	There is a Board of License Commissioners for Washington County. 23 2 SENATE BILL 503
49	49
50	50
51	51
52		-	~~This title applies only in Washington County~~. 1
	52	+	31–202. 1
53	53
54		-	~~31–201~~. 2
	54	+	(a) (1) The Governor shall appoint three members to the Board. 2
55	55
56		-	~~There is a Board of License Commissioners for Washington County.~~ 3
	56	+	(2) The appointments shall be made: 3
57	57
58		-	31–202. 4
	58	+	(i) if the Senate is in session, with the advice and consent of the 4
	59	+	Senate; or 5
59	60
60		-	(a) ~~(1)~~ The Governor ~~shall appoint three members to the Board~~. 5
	61	+	(ii) if the Senate is not in session, by the Governor alone. 6
61	62
62		-	(2) The ~~appointments~~ shall be ~~made~~: 6
	63	+	(b) (1) Each member of the Board shall be: 7
63	64
64		-	(i) if the Senate is in session, with the advice and consent of the 7
65		-	Senate; or 8
	65	+	(i) a resident and voter of the county; and 8
66	66
67		-	(ii) if the Senate is not in session, by the Governor alone. 9
	67	+	(ii) an individual of high character and integrity and of recognized 9
	68	+	business capacity. 10
68	69
69		-	(b) (1) Each member of the Board shall be: 10
	70	+	[(2) Not more than two members of the Board may belong to the same 11
	71	+	political party.] 12
70	72
71		-	(i) a resident and voter of the county; and 11
	73	+	(2) (I) TWO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD SHALL BELONG TO THE 13
	74	+	POLITICAL PARTY THAT RECEIVED THE HIGHEST AGGREGATED NUM BER OF VOTES 14
	75	+	IN THE PRECEDING ELE CTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS . 15
72	76
73		-	(ii) an individual of high character and integrity and of recognized 12
74		-	business capacity. 13
	77	+	(II) ONE MEMBER OF THE BOARD SHALL BELONG TO THE 16
	78	+	POLITICAL PARTY THAT RECEIVED THE SECOND HIGHEST AGGREGATED N UMBER OF 17
	79	+	VOTES IN THE PRECEDI NG ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS . 18
75	80
76		-	[(2) ~~Not more than two members~~ of the Board may ~~belong to the same 14~~
77		-	~~political party~~.~~] 15~~
	81	+	(c) A member of the Board may not have a pecuniary or other interest in any 19
	82	+	phase of the manufacture, sale, or distribution of alcoholic beverages. 20
78	83
79		-	(2) (I) TWO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD SHALL BELONG TO THE 16
80		-	POLITICAL PARTY THAT RECEIVED THE HIGHEST AGGREGATED NUMBER OF VOTES 17
81		-	IN THE PRECEDING ELE CTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS . 18
	84	+	(d) (1) The term of a member is 6 years. 21
82	85
83		-	(II) ONE MEMBER OF THE BOARD SHALL BELONG TO THE 19
84		-	POLITICAL PARTY THAT RECEIVED THE SECOND HIGHEST AGGREGATED N UMBER OF 20
85		-	VOTES IN THE PRECEDI NG ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS . 21
	86	+	(2) The terms of the members are staggered as required by the terms 22
	87	+	provided for members of the Board on July 1, 2016. 23
86	88
87		-	(c) A member of the Board may not have a pecuniary or other interest in any 22
88		-	phase of the manufacture, sale, or distribution of alcoholic beverages. 23
	89	+	(e) (1) The Governor shall appoint an eligible individual to fill a vacancy 24
	90	+	during the remainder of the term of office of the individual originally appointed in 25
	91	+	accordance with subsection (a) of this section. 26
89	92
90		-	(d) (1) The term of a member is 6 years. 24
91		-
92		-	(2) The terms of the members are staggered as required by the terms 25
93		-	provided for members of the Board on July 1, 2016. 26
	93	+	(2) A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the 27
	94	+	remainder of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 28
94	95		SENATE BILL 503 3
95	96
96	97
97		-	(e) (1) The Governor shall appoint an eligible individual to fill a vacancy 1
98		-	during the remainder of the term of office of the individual originally appointed in 2
99		-	accordance with subsection (a) of this section. 3
	98	+	(f) (1) The Governor may remove a member for misconduct in office, 1
	99	+	incompetence, or willful neglect of duty. 2
100	100
101		-	(2) A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the 4
102		-	remainder of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 5
	101	+	(2) The Governor shall give a member who is charged a copy of the charges 3
	102	+	against the member and, with at least 10 days’ notice, an opportunity to be heard publicly 4
	103	+	in person or by counsel. 5
103	104
104		-	(f) (1) The Governor may remove a member for misconduct in office, 6
105		-	incompetence, or willful neglect of duty. 7
	105	+	(3) If a member is removed, the Governor shall file with the Office of the 6
	106	+	Secretary of State a statement of charges against the member and the Governor’s findings 7
	107	+	on the charges. 8
106	108
107		-	(2) The Governor shall give a member who is charged a copy of the charges 8
108		-	against the member and, with at least 10 days’ notice, an opportunity to be heard publicly 9
109		-	in person or by counsel. 10
	109	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 9
	110	+	1, 2025. 10
110	111
111		-	(3) If a member is removed, the Governor shall file with the Office of the 11
112		-	Secretary of State a statement of charges against the member and the Governor’s findings 12
113		-	on the charges. 13
114		-
115		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
116		-	1, 2025. 15
117		-
118		-
119		-
120		-
121		-	Approved:
122		-	________________________________________________________________________________
123		-	Governor.
124		-	________________________________________________________________________________
125		-	President of the Senate.
126		-	________________________________________________________________________________
127		-	Speaker of the House of Delegates.