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SB 974 Maryland Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Caroline County - Alcoholic Beverages - Inspector

This bill clarifies who serves as the inspector for Caroline County's Board of License Commissioners regarding alcoholic beverages. It specifies that the inspector must be either the county codes administrator or an individual appointed by the Board. The bill also requires the Board to define the inspector's duties (including enforcement of local alcohol laws) and states the inspector's salary will be set by the county budget. This is a procedural change affecting only Caroline County's alcohol licensing process, with no new policy requirements.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 14, 2026 Signed May 26, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Caroline County - Alcoholic Beverages - Inspector → Third - Caroline County - Alcoholic Beverages - Inspector · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was re-referred to the Finance Committee and adopted by the Senate, moving it to the next stage of the legislative process. Substantively, the bill clarifies that the Inspector for the Board is either the County Codes Administrator or an individual appointed by the Board, and it mandates that the Board specify the inspector's duties, including enforcement of alcoholic beverage laws. It also establishes that the inspector's salary will be determined by the county budget.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains limited to Caroline County, with no changes to its geographic applicability.
TECHNICAL

The bill was re-referred to the Finance Committee on February 22, 2026, and subsequently adopted by the Senate on March 2, 2026, advancing its legislative status.

DEFINITION

The definition of the Inspector for the Board was updated to explicitly list the County Codes Administrator as the primary option or an individual appointed by the Board as an alternative.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added for the Board to specify the inspector's duties, ensuring the role includes the administration and enforcement of county alcoholic beverage laws.

FISCAL

The bill now explicitly states that the inspector's salary must be provided for in the county budget.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026 · House of Delegates Apr 2, 2026

How they voted

47–0
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 49
Mar 3, 2026
D Democratic36
34 Yea 2
94% Yea
R Republican13
13 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
16
Key actions
10
Committee
7
May 26, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 833
executive
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Returned Passed
upper
Apr 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Apr 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
lower
Apr 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable Report by Government, Labor, and Elections
lower
Apr 2, 2026
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (135-1-6)
house of delegates
Mar 20, 2026
Committee
Referred Government, Labor, and Elections
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Adopted
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Report by Finance
upper
Mar 4, 2026
Committee
Rereferred to Finance
upper
Mar 3, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (47-0-2)
senate
Feb 14, 2026
Committee
First Reading Senate Rules
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.