Queen Anne's County - Authorized Uses of Revenues From Development Impact Fees - Expansion
HB0569 amends Maryland’s Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis law as it applies only in Dorchester County. The bill expands the existing beer and wine tasting license to a beer, wine, and liquor tasting license, allowing certain Class A license holders to conduct tastings of liquor in addition to beer and wine, so long as the license holder is authorized to sell that type of alcohol under its Class A license.
The bill sets specific limits on liquor tastings, including a maximum of 0.5 ounces per offering and 1.5 ounces total per day, and maintains the existing requirements that tastings be free to consumers and consumed on the premises. It also preserves the administrative process for obtaining the license, including application procedures, notice to the Board, renewal with the Class A license, and fee options for up to 15 or 30 tastings per year. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
The bill changes Section 19-1306 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article to authorize liquor tastings under Dorchester County’s tasting-license framework. It expands the scope of eligible tastings for Class A license holders, while also adding liquor-specific consumption limits and keeping the license tied to the holder’s underlying authority to sell the beverage category. The measure affects Dorchester County alcohol retailers, the county alcohol board, and consumers participating in tastings.
The available record suggests the bill was noncontroversial and passed without recorded opposition in the provided materials. There are no committee transcripts or vote details showing debate, amendments, or divided sentiment. The final enactment indicates general legislative support for a targeted local licensing expansion.
The main policy constraint in the bill is that a license holder may not conduct tastings of alcoholic beverages it is not otherwise authorized to sell under its Class A license, which limits the expansion to existing lawful product categories. Any potential concern would likely center on alcohol regulation, public consumption limits, and local oversight of tastings, but no specific objections or opposing viewpoints are included in the provided history.