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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*sb0972*
SENATE BILL 972
A2 (5lr3244)
ENROLLED BILL
— Finance/Economic Matters —
Introduced by Senator Lam
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at _________________ _______ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
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 2 SENATE BILL 972
Section 11–102 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2024 Replacement Volume) 3
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 4
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 5
Section 11–202(a) and (b) and 11–2802 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2024 Replacement Volume) 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 10
Section 11–210, 11–1409, and 11–2607 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2024 Replacement Volume) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 16
11–102. 17
This title applies only in Anne Arundel County. 18
11–202. 19
(a) (1) The Governor shall appoint [three] FIVE members to the Board. 20
(2) The appointments shall be made[: 21
(i) if the Senate is in session,] with the advice and consent of the 22
Senate[; or 23
(ii) if the Senate is not in session, by the Governor alone]. 24
(b) (1) Each member of the Board shall be: 25
(i) a resident and voter of the county; and 26
(ii) SELECTED FROM A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS RECOM MENDED 27
BY THE MEMBERS OF TH E ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY HOUSE OR SENATE 28
DELEGATION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; AND 29
(III) an individual of high character and integrity and of recognized 30
business capacity. 31 SENATE BILL 972 3
(2) No more than two THREE members of the Board may belong to the 1
same political party. 2
(3) NO MORE THAN TWO MEMB ERS OF THE BOARD MAY BE 3
RESIDENTS OF THE SAM E STATE LEGISLATIVE DIS TRICT. 4
(4) AN INDIVIDUAL MAY NOT BE APPOINTED TO THE BOARD IF THE 5
INDIVIDUAL SERVED AS THE CHIEF INSPECTOR WITHIN 5 YEARS 1 YEAR OF THE 6
DATE THAT THE VACANC Y IS PUBLICLY ANNOUN CED. 7
11–210. 8
THE BOARD SHALL ADOPT AND PUBLISH A WRITTEN PO LICY RELATED TO 9
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND THE RECUSAL OF BOARD MEMBERS FROM BOARD 10
MATTERS. 11
11–1409. 12
(A) THE BOARD SHALL: 13
(1) INCLUDE ON ALL APPLI CATION FORMS FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A 14
LICENSE OR A LICENSE RENEWAL AN OPTION FO R THE APPLICANT TO P ROVIDE THE 15
APPLICANT’S RACE AND ETHNICITY INFORM ATION; AND 16
(2) ENCOURAGE AN APPLICA NT TO PROVIDE RACE A ND ETHNICITY 17
INFORMATION ON THE A PPLICATION. 18
(B) THE BOARD MAY NOT USE ANY RACE OR ETHNICITY IN FORMATION 19
INCLUDED ON AN APPLI CATION FOR THE ISSUA NCE OF A LICENSE OR LICENSE 20
RENEWAL AS A FACTOR IN DETERMINING WHETHER TO ISSUE OR RENEW TH E 21
LICENSE. 22
11–2607. 23
ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 15 EACH YEAR, THE BOARD SHALL REPORT TO THE 24
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 25
ARTICLE, ON THE RACIAL BREAKD OWN OF THE DISCIPLINARY ACT IONS TAKEN BY 26
THE BOARD IN THE PRECEDIN G CALENDAR YEAR . 27
11–2802. 28
4 SENATE BILL 972
(a) [The Board may impose a fine not exceeding $2,500 or suspend a license or 1
both for] FOR a violation that is cause for license suspension under the alcoholic beverage 2
laws affecting the county, THE BOARD MAY: 3
(1) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE , IMPOSE A FINE NOT EX CEEDING $1,000; 4
(2) FOR A SECOND OFFENSE IN THE SAME 24–MONTH PERIOD , IMPOSE 5
A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $2,000 OR SUSPEND THE LICEN SE OR BOTH; AND 6
(3) FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE I N THE SAME 24–MONTH 7
PERIOD, IMPOSE A FINE NOT EX CEEDING $2,500 OR SUSPEND THE LICEN SE OR 8
BOTH. 9
(b) A fine or suspension under subsection (a) of this section is in addition to any 10
term or condition that the Board may impose as a result of the violation. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2025. 13
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.