Worcester County - Board of License Commissioners - Membership

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.
*sb0681*

SENATE BILL 681
A2 6lr2949
CF HB 914
By: Senator Carozza
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 20, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Worcester County – Board of License Commissioners – Membership 2

FOR the purpose of increasing the number of members on the Board of License 3
Commissioners for Worcester County; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages 4
in Worcester County. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 7
Section 33–102 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 12
Section 33–202 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis 18

33–102. 19

2 SENATE BILL 681

This title applies only in Worcester County. 1

33–202. 2

(a) The Governor shall appoint [three] FIVE members to the Board, subject to the 3
advice and consent of the Senate. 4

(b) Each member of the Board shall be: 5

(1) a resident and voter of the county; and 6

(2) an individual of high character and integrity and of recognized business 7
capacity. 8

(c) (1) The term of a member is 4 years. 9

(2) The terms of the members are staggered as required by the terms 10
provided for members of the Board on [July 1, 2016] JUNE 1, 2026. 11

(d) (1) The Governor shall appoint an eli gible individual to fill a vacancy 12
during the remainder of the term of office of the individual originally appointed in 13
accordance with subsection (a) of this section. 14

(2) A member who is appointed after a term has begun serves only for the 15
remainder of the term and until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 16

(e) (1) The Governor may remove a member for misconduct in office, 17
incompetence, or willful neglect of duty. 18

(2) The Governor shall give a member who is charged a copy of the charges 19
against the member and, with at least 10 days’ notice, an opportunity to be heard publicly 20
in person or by counsel. 21

(3) If a member is removed, the Governor shall file with the Office of the 22
Secretary of State a statement of charges against the member and the Governor’s findings 23
on the charges. 24

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 25

(a) The terms of the three members of the Board of License Commissioners for 26
Worcester County who are in office on the effective date of this Act shall expire as follows: 27

(1) the term of the one member whose term is scheduled to expire on June 28
30, 2027, shall expire on June 30, 2027; and 29

(2) the term of the two members whose terms are scheduled to expire on 30
June 30, 2029, shall expire on June 30, 2029. 31
SENATE BILL 681 3

(b) The initia l terms of the two additional members of the Board of License 1
Commissioners for Worcester County, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, shall begin July 2
1, 2026. 3

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 4
1, 2026. 5

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