EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0571*
SENATE BILL 571
A2 5lr1390
CF HB 99
By: Anne Arundel County Senators
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 21, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Anne Arundel County – Class A (Off–Sale) and Class D (Off–Sale) Licenses 2
– Population Ratio Quota 3
FOR the purpose of establishing a population ratio quota for certain Class A (off–sale) and 4
Class D (off–sale) licenses in Anne Arundel County; specifying a certain official map 5
to be used to identify certain tax assessment districts for purposes of the population 6
ratio quota; prohibiting the Board of License Commissioners for Anne Arundel 7
County from approving the transfer of certain alcoholic beverages licenses under 8
certain circumstances; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages licenses in Anne 9
Arundel County. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 12
Section 11–102 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2024 Replacement Volume) 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 17
Section 11–1602 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2024 Replacement Volume) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22 2 SENATE BILL 571
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 1
11–102. 2
This title applies only in Anne Arundel County. 3
11–1602. 4
(a) In this section, “assessment district” means a tax assessment district: 5
(1) established by the county [through local law]; AND 6
(2) SHOWN ON THE OFFICIA L MAP ADOPTED BY THE COUNTY 7
COUNCIL TITLED “TAX ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS, 2005”. 8
(b) [The] SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , THE Board may 9
issue a Class A (off–sale), Class B (off–sale), or Class D (off–sale) license based on its 10
determination of whether the license is necessary to accommodate the public. 11
(c) [In making its determination,] IF THE APPLICATION IS FOR A CLASS A 12
(OFF–SALE) OR CLASS D (OFF–SALE) LICENSE, the Board [may consider whether the 13
establishment for which the license would be issued is in] MAY NOT ISSUE THE LI CENSE 14
IF: 15
(1) THE ESTABLISH MENT FOR WHICH THE L ICENSE WOULD BE ISSU ED 16
IS LOCATED IN an assessment district in which the ratio of off–sale licenses per individual 17
[is more than] EXCEEDS one [per] FOR EVERY 4,000 3,500 individuals; or 18
(2) [an assessment district in which the ratio of off–sale licenses per 19
individual is less than one per 4,000 individuals] THE ISSUANCE OF THE LICENSE 20
WOULD CAUSE THE RATI O OF OFF–SALE LICENSES PER IN DIVIDUAL IN AN 21
ASSESSMENT DISTRICT TO EXCEED ONE FOR EV ERY 4,000 3,500 INDIVIDUALS. 22
(D) SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY: 23
(1) TO THE TRANSFER OR R ENEWAL OF A LICENSE THAT WAS ISSUED 24
ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2025; OR 25
(2) IN THE 6TH TAX ASSESSMENT DI STRICT; OR 26
(3) TO AN APPLICATION FO R AN ON–SITE CONSUMPTION PER MIT 27
UNDER § 2–207 OF THIS ARTICLE BY AN APPLIC ANT THAT HOLDS A CLASS 5 28
BREWERY LICENSE . 29
SENATE BILL 571 3
(E) THE POPULATION OF EAC H ASSESSMENT DISTRIC T IS TO BE 1
DETERMINED BY : 2
(1) THE LATEST FEDERAL C ENSUS; OR 3
(2) ESTIMATES PREPARED B Y THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY OFFICE 4
OF PLANNING AND ZONING. 5
(F) THE BOARD MAY NOT APPROVE THE TRANSFER OF A CLASS A 6
(OFF–SALE) LICENSE OR CLASS D (OFF–SALE) LICENSE: 7
(1) TO A LOCATION OUTSID E THE ASSESSMENT DIS TRICT IN WHICH 8
THE LICENSE WAS LOCA TED ON JULY 1, 2025; OR 9
(2) IF THE LICENSE WAS N OT IN EXISTENCE AS OF JULY 1, 2025, TO A 10
LOCATION OUTSIDE THE ASSESSMENT DISTRICT IN WHICH THE LICENSE WAS 11
ORIGINALLY ISSUED . 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 13
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and 6 months and, at the end of 14
December 31, 2028, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall 15
be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 16
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.