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Bill

SB 801

Relating to the office of Adjutant General.

2025 Regular Session

Allows Dorchester County to issue alcohol licenses within 300 feet of a school or place of worship if each affected institution grants written consent.

Effective date, January 1, 2026.
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Bill Summary · SB 801

SB 801 — Dorchester County – Alcoholic Beverages – Issuance of License Near a Place of Worship or School

Status: Withdrawn by sponsor (recorded 2025-02-17).
Introduced: Jan. 28, 2025 (bill text lists effective date July 1, 2025).
Scope: Dorchester County, Maryland (Art. — Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis).

Main purpose

To allow the Dorchester County Board of License Commissioners to issue a new alcoholic beverages license for an establishment located within 300 feet (direct line) of a place of worship or a public/nonpublic kindergarten, elementary, or secondary school if the Board has received written consent from each affected place of worship or school.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 19–1601 of Maryland’s Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article (local Dorchester County title).
  • Retains the baseline rule that the Board may not issue a new license for an establishment within 300 feet (measured in a straight line from the establishment to the nearest point of the main building) of a place of worship or school.
  • Adds an exception: the 300‑foot prohibition does not apply if the Board receives written consent to the issuance of the license from each place of worship or school located within that 300‑foot radius.
  • Preserves existing statutory exceptions already listed: premises that were licensed on Oct. 1, 1996; certain Class B (on‑sale) beer, wine and liquor licenses in Cambridge, Secretary, or Hurlock; and temporary licenses.
  • Effective date specified in the bill: July 1, 2025 (if enacted).

Who is affected

  • Applicants for Dorchester County alcoholic beverages licenses who are or would be within 300 feet of a school or place of worship — they could obtain licenses if they secure written consent from each nearest institution.
  • Places of worship and schools located near proposed licensed establishments — they would gain explicit statutory authority to grant or withhold written consent affecting license issuance.
  • Dorchester County Board of License Commissioners — gains an additional discretion/condition under which it may issue licenses.
  • Local neighborhoods, residents, and businesses potentially affected by new on‑site alcohol sales near sensitive uses.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Enables negotiated agreements between applicants and nearby schools/places of worship; may resolve conflicts where local institutions are amenable.
  • May raise public‑safety, zoning, and land‑use concerns among residents who oppose alcohol outlets near schools or houses of worship.
  • Shifts part of the gatekeeping role from a strict distance bar to a consent‑based model for nearby institutions — outcomes will depend on how readily those institutions give written consent.
  • Limited to Dorchester County; does not change statewide law or rules in other counties.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The bill text specifies July 1, 2025 as the effective date if enacted.
  • According to the material provided, the sponsor withdrew the bill on 2025‑02‑17. (If the bill is refiled or reintroduced, the text shown would be the operative amendment.)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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