EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0050*
SENATE BILL 50
L2 5lr0735
(PRE–FILED)
By: Senator Simonaire
Requested: September 2, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Local Government – Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and 2
Visitors Bureau Designation 3
FOR the purpose of altering references to the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County 4
Conference and Visitors Bureau to be Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, 5
Inc.; and generally relating to the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference 6
and Visitors Bureau. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Local Government 9
Section 20–603(b)(4), (c)(1), and (e) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2013 Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Local Government 15
20–603. 16
(b) (4) From any revenue generated in the City of Annapolis from the hotel 17
tax, Anne Arundel County shall distribute: 18
(i) 3% to a special fund to be used only to provide funds to the 19
Annapolis Art in Public Places Commission; 20
(ii) 3% to a special fund to be used only to provide funds to the Arts 21
Council of Anne Arundel County, Inc.; 22
2 SENATE BILL 50
(iii) 17% to a special fund to be used only to provide funds to [the 1
Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau] VISIT ANNAPOLIS 2
AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, INC.; and 3
(iv) 3% to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund established under § 4
20.30.070 of the Code of the City of Annapolis to be used only for housing assistance 5
payments. 6
(c) (1) From the county’s share of revenue from the hotel tax, Anne Arundel 7
County shall distribute: 8
(i) 3% to a special fund to be used only to provide funds to the Arts 9
Council of Anne Arundel County, Inc.; and 10
(ii) 17% to a special fund to be used only to provide funds to [the 11
Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau] VISIT ANNAPOLIS 12
AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, INC. 13
(e) (1) On or before November 1 each year, the Arts Council of Anne Arundel 14
County, Inc. and [the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors 15
Bureau] VISIT ANNAPOLIS AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, INC. shall report on their 16
use of hotel tax revenue during the preceding fiscal year to: 17
(i) the Anne Arundel County Executive; 18
(ii) the Mayor and City Council of the City of Annapolis; and 19
(iii) in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the 20
Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the House Committee on Ways and Means, and 21
the members of the General Assembly representing Anne Arundel County. 22
(2) The County Auditor of Anne Arundel County: 23
(i) may conduct an audit of the financial records of the Arts Council 24
of Anne Arundel County, Inc. or [the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and 25
Visitors Bureau] VISIT ANNAPOLIS AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, INC.; and 26
(ii) shall report any audit findings under item (i) of this paragraph 27
to the governing body of Anne Arundel County. 28
(3) (i) The City of Annapolis or Anne Arundel County may withhold 29
from appropriation special funds dedicated to the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County 30
under this section if the Council fails to: 31
1. submit the report required under paragraph (1) of this 32
subsection; or 33 SENATE BILL 50 3
2. correct any audit findings identified under paragraph (2) 1
of this subsection. 2
(ii) The City of Annapolis or Anne Arundel County may withhold 3
from appropriation special funds dedicated to [the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County 4
Conference and Visitors Bureau] VISIT ANNAPOLIS AND ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, 5
INC. under this section if [the Bureau] VISIT ANNAPOLIS AND ANNE ARUNDEL 6
COUNTY, INC. fails to: 7
1. submit the report required under paragraph (1) of this 8
subsection; or 9
2. correct any audit findings identified under paragraph (2) 10
of this subsection. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 12
October 1, 2025. 13