HB456 creates a new Howard County-only “gift basket permit” under the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article. The permit would allow a qualifying business whose primary business is flower delivery, and whose business includes selling and delivering gift baskets of flowers, food, or other items, to sell and deliver gift baskets containing limited amounts of beer, wine, or liquor to adult consumers in Howard County. The permit is unavailable to businesses operating in conjunction with a chain store, supermarket, or discount house, and the permit holder may not hold any other alcoholic beverages license or permit under the article.
The bill sets operating conditions for the permit. Alcoholic beverages in the gift baskets are capped at 72 ounces of beer, 2.25 liters of wine, or 2.25 liters of liquor, and deliveries must be made by the permit holder or an employee who is at least 21 years old. The recipient must show proof of being at least 21, the permit holder must keep records and file reports as required by the county board, and alcoholic beverages used in the baskets must be purchased from a retail license holder. The annual sales of alcoholic beverages may not exceed 10% of the permit holder’s annual gross sales, and the permit fee is set at $100.
HB456 also makes a targeted change to Howard County’s school-distance licensing restriction. Existing law generally bars issuance of certain alcoholic beverage licenses within 400 or 500 feet of a public school building, but the bill adds that this prohibition does not apply to the new gift basket permit. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and authorizes the county board to adopt regulations to implement the permit.
The bill appears to have broad support and little visible opposition in the available record. It received favorable committee action in the House, passed the House 126-0, and later passed the Senate 42-0. That unanimous voting pattern suggests the measure was viewed as a narrow, practical local licensing change rather than a controversial expansion of alcohol sales.
Any contention would likely center on the policy choice to carve out an exception to school-distance restrictions and to allow alcohol delivery through gift baskets, but no recorded debate or dissent is provided in the materials. The bill’s structure suggests the main stakeholders are local florists, gift basket businesses, alcohol regulators, and consumers in Howard County, with safeguards aimed at limiting the permit to small-scale, adult-only sales.
HB456 amends the Howard County provisions of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article by adding a new section establishing a gift basket permit and by creating an express exception to the county’s school-proximity licensing ban for that permit. It also directs the Howard County Board of License Commissioners to adopt implementing regulations. The bill affects local businesses that sell and deliver flowers, gift baskets, and related items, while preserving age-verification and recordkeeping requirements for alcohol deliveries.
The available legislative history indicates strong, unanimous support. The House passed the bill 126-0 and the Senate passed it 42-0, and the committee report was favorable. With no committee transcript or recorded dissent provided, the overall sentiment appears positive and noncontroversial, reflecting a narrow local business accommodation with built-in safeguards.
The main policy issue is the bill’s exception to Howard County’s distance restrictions for alcohol licenses near public schools, which could raise concerns about alcohol availability near schools. Another possible point of concern is allowing alcohol to be included in delivered gift baskets, though the bill limits the permit to specific businesses, caps the amount of alcohol, requires adult delivery and age verification, and restricts alcohol sales to a small share of overall business revenue. No specific opposition is identified in the available record.