Alcoholic Beverages - License Fee Refund Requirements - Alterations

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING 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.
*sb0013*

SENATE BILL 13
A1 6lr0610
(PRE–FILED)
By: Senator Simonaire
Requested: June 6, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 20, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Alcoholic Beverages – License Fee Refund Requirements – Alterations 2

FOR the purpose of altering certain alcoholic beverages license fee refund requirements to 3
allow for certain members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 4
and the Public Health Service to be eligible for a certain refund; and generally 5
relating to alcoholic beverages licenses. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 8
Section 3–108 and 4–113 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13

Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 14

3–108. 15

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a license holder is not 16
entitled to a refund of the unearned portion of the license fee. 17

(b) A refund shall be issued to a license holder on surrender of the license if: 18
2 SENATE BILL 13

(1) receivership or bankruptcy of the business entity on whose behalf the 1
license was issued occurs and a license transfer is not requested, with the refund issued for 2
the benefit of the creditors of the license holder; 3

(2) the license holder dies, with the refund issued for the benefit of the 4
estate of the deceased license holder; 5

(3) the license holder volunteers for or has been called into the [armed 6
forces of the United States] UNIFORMED SERVICES or the organized State militia; 7

(4) the license holder surrenders a license and obtains a new license of 8
another class carrying a higher fee, with the refund deducted from the higher fee; 9

(5) the license holder, against whom charges are pending when the license 10
is renewed, is found guilty and the license is revoked, with the refund issued to the license 11
holder in an amount based on the date that the revocation becomes final; 12

(6) the issuance of a license by the Executive Director is reve rsed on 13
judicial review and the operation of the establishment is prohibited, with the refund issued 14
to the license holder in an amount based on the date that the refusal to grant the renewal 15
becomes final; or 16

(7) the licensed premises is taken by the federal government, the State, or 17
a municipality for public use. 18

4–113. 19

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a license holder is not 20
entitled to a refund of the unearned portion of the license fee. 21

(b) A refund shall be issued to a license holder on surrender of the license if: 22

(1) receivership or bankruptcy of the business entity on whose behalf the 23
license was issued occurs and a license transfer is not requested, with the refund issued for 24
the benefit of the creditors of the license holder; 25

(2) the license holder dies, with the refund issued for the benefit of the 26
estate of the deceased license holder; 27

(3) the license holder volunteers for or has been called into the [armed 28
forces of the United States] UNIFORMED SERVICES or the organized State militia; 29

(4) the license holder surrenders a license and obtains a new license of 30
another class carrying a higher fee, with the refund deducted from the higher fee; 31

SENATE BILL 13 3

(5) a license holder, against whom charges are pending when the license is 1
renewed, is found guilty and the license is revoked, with the refund issued to the license 2
holder in an amount based on the date that the revocation becomes final; 3

(6) the issuance of a license by a local licensing board is reversed on judicial 4
review and the operation of the establishment is prohibited, with the refund issued to the 5
license holder in an amount based on the date that the refusal to grant the renewal becomes 6
final; or 7

(7) the licensed premises are taken by the federal go vernment, the State, 8
or a municipality for public use. 9

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10
1, 2026. 11

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.