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.
*sb0972*
SENATE BILL 972
A2 5lr3244
By: Senator Lam
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Anne Arundel County – Board of License Commissioners – Alterations 2
FOR the purpose of increasing the membership of the Board of License Commissioners for 3
Anne Arundel County; altering the eligibility requirements for Board membership; 4
requiring the Board to adopt and publish a certain ethics policy; requiring the Board 5
to include an option to provide certain information on an application for the issuance 6
of a license or a license renewal; prohibiting the Board from using certain 7
information as a factor in determining whether to issue or renew a license; requiring 8
the Board to submit a certain report regarding enforcement actions to the General 9
Assembly each year; altering the penalties that the Board may impose for certain 10
violations; and generally relating to the Board of License Commissioners for Anne 11
Arundel County. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 14
Section 11–102 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2024 Replacement Volume) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 19
Section 11–202(a) and (b) and 11–2802 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2024 Replacement Volume) 22
2 SENATE BILL 972
BY adding to 1
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 2
Section 11–210, 11–1409, and 11–2607 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2024 Replacement Volume) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 8
11–102. 9
This title applies only in Anne Arundel County. 10
11–202. 11
(a) (1) The Governor shall appoint [three] FIVE members to the Board. 12
(2) The appointments shall be made[: 13
(i) if the Senate is in session,] with the advice and consent of the 14
Senate[; or 15
(ii) if the Senate is not in session, by the Governor alone]. 16
(b) (1) Each member of the Board shall be: 17
(i) a resident and voter of the county; and 18
(ii) SELECTED FROM A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS RECOM MENDED 19
BY THE MEMBERS OF TH E ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY HOUSE OR SENATE 20
DELEGATION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; AND 21
(III) an individual of high character and integrity and of recognized 22
business capacity. 23
(2) No more than two THREE members of the Board may belong to the 24
same political party. 25
(3) NO MORE THAN TWO MEMB ERS OF THE BOARD MAY BE 26
RESIDENTS OF THE SAM E STATE LEGISLATIVE DIS TRICT. 27
(4) AN INDIVIDUAL MAY NOT BE APPO INTED TO THE BOARD IF THE 28
INDIVIDUAL SERVED AS THE CHIEF INSPECTOR WITHIN 5 YEARS 1 YEAR OF THE 29
DATE THAT THE VACANC Y IS PUBLICLY ANNOUN CED. 30 SENATE BILL 972 3
11–210. 1
THE BOARD SHALL ADOPT AND PUBLISH A WRITTEN PO LICY RELATED TO 2
CONFLICTS OF INTERES T AND THE RECUSAL OF BOARD MEMBERS FROM BOARD 3
MATTERS. 4
11–1409. 5
(A) THE BOARD SHALL: 6
(1) INCLUDE ON ALL APPLI CATION FORMS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A 7
LICENSE OR A LICENSE RENEWAL AN OPTION FO R THE APPLICANT TO P ROVIDE THE 8
APPLICANT’S RACE AND ETHNICITY INFORMATION; AND 9
(2) ENCOURAGE AN APPLICA NT TO PROVIDE RACE A ND ETHNICITY 10
INFORMATION ON THE A PPLICATION. 11
(B) THE BOARD MAY NOT USE ANY RACE OR ETHNICITY IN FORMATION 12
INCLUDED ON AN APPLI CATION FOR THE ISSUA NCE OF A LICENSE OR LICENSE 13
RENEWAL AS A FACTOR IN DETERMINING WHETH ER TO ISSUE OR RENEW THE 14
LICENSE. 15
11–2607. 16
ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 15 EACH YEAR, THE BOARD SHALL REPORT TO THE 17
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 18
ARTICLE, ON THE RACIAL BREAKD OWN OF THE DISCIPLIN ARY ACTIONS TAKEN BY 19
THE BOARD IN THE PRECEDIN G CALENDAR YEAR . 20
11–2802. 21
(a) [The Board may impose a fine not exceeding $2,500 or suspend a license or 22
both for] FOR a violation that is cause for license suspension under the alcoholic beverage 23
laws affecting the county, THE BOARD MAY: 24
(1) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE , IMPOSE A FINE NOT EX CEEDING $1,000; 25
(2) FOR A SECOND OFFENSE IN THE SAME 24–MONTH PERIOD , IMPOSE 26
A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $2,000 OR SUSPEND THE LICEN SE OR BOTH; AND 27
(3) FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE IN THE SAME 24–MONTH 28
PERIOD, IMPOSE A FINE NOT EX CEEDING $2,500 OR SUSPEND THE LICEN SE OR 29
BOTH. 30
4 SENATE BILL 972
(b) A fine or suspension under subsection (a) of this section is in addition to any 1
term or condition that the Board may impose as a result of the violation. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 3
1, 2025. 4
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.