A bill supported by Howard County lawmakers would allow local movie theaters to begin serving beer, wine and liquor.

Howard County Democrats Sen. Guy Guzzone and Del. Jessica Feldmark sponsored the bill that would establish a liquor license class for movie theaters, allowing them to sell alcohol to customers who have purchased tickets, for consumption at the theater.

Movie theaters in neighboring counties already sell alcohol without many issues, Guzzone said, so he thought it was reasonable for a “public accommodation of sorts” to bring alcohol sales to Howard County theaters.

Guzzone said he hopes the idea will help local movie theaters to survive and thrive in an era of streaming entertainment.

“People have invested a lot in sort of the brick and mortar of the movie theater, and it just gives them a little extra income stream to hopefully be successful,” he said.

Businesses such as Warehouse Cinemas, with locations in Baltimore, Frederick and Hagerstown; Cinemark Theater in Towson; and Harbor East Cinemas, in Baltimore, have bars serving drinks to moviegoers and beer walls where customers can serve themselves.

The Board of License Commissioners in Howard County, which is composed of the County Council, could grant the license to theater owners with a crowd control training certification. The board would also determine the license’s days and hours of sale, its annual fee and any other regulations needed.

“Obviously, we want to make sure that it’s done safely, just the way that our liquor board handles any other kind of serving of alcohol. The bill is broad in the sense that it gives our liquor board a considerable amount of authority to do whatever they think is necessary to ensure that we maintain the same kind of standards that people would anywhere else,” Guzzone said.

Guzzone said he is a proponent of the arts, helping to secure investments for The Hippodrome Theater, the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company and other activities. Movie theaters can be included in the same arts category, he said.

Because the bill was filed late in the legislative session, it is assigned to the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, where it must receive a two-thirds vote before it can go through the remaining legislative process. If the bill passes, it would take effect July 1.

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