At its July 9 meeting the Alcohol Beverage Board of St. Mary's County voted unanimously to amend local rules to match recently enacted state law raising the maximum fine the board may impose for license violations. The board updated section 6.07(A) to change the prior $1,000 maximum to $2,500 and amended the board's penalty matrix to reflect the new maximum and hold‑in‑abeyance percentages used for mitigation.

Why it matters: HB 486 (2025) changed the maximum administrative fine the board may assess; the board moved promptly to align its rules and its standard penalty matrix with the new statutory maximum so penalties applied at hearings are consistent with state law.

Key changes adopted
- Section 6.07(A): maximum fine language updated from $1,000 to $2,500.
- Penalty matrix (section 6.07(E), subparagraphs): the board inserted the updated dollar amounts and retained previously adopted percentage guidance (for example, up to 50% held in abeyance in some first‑offense scenarios) so members have a consistent guideline when setting penalties during hearings.

Board discussion and next steps
Board counsel and the administrator discussed whether to change the matrix's suspension language; after brief discussion members directed staff to use 50% held in abeyance language consistent with prior practice and adopt the updated amounts. The board said it would continue to refine other regulatory sections (including rules related to holding more than one Class B license) at a subsequent meeting.

Outcome: the amendments were adopted by unanimous vote. The board administrator will publish the amended rules and apply them to hearings going forward.