SB 676 - Current law authorizes St. Charles County to establish the St. Charles County Convention and Sports Facilities Authority for the purpose of constructing, operating and maintaining convention, visitor, and sports facilities . This act authorizes the authority to designate a project area for the acquisition, planning, construction, equipping, operation, maintenance, repair, extension, and improvement of a regional sports facility intended to provide year-round sports opportunities and draw participants from outside of the state.

Project areas designated by the authority shall be eligible to receive fifty percent of the incremental increase in state general revenue sales taxes generated by activity located within the project area. A project area shall not be eligible for such new state revenues unless the authority imposes the maximum transient guest tax rate allowable by current law.

The Department of Economic Development and the Commissioner of the Office of Administration shall jointly evaluate applications for new state revenues, and such revenues shall not be distributed until certain conditions are met, as described in the act.

The total amount of new state revenues that may be appropriated pursuant to the act in any given year shall not exceed $10 million, and no single project shall receive an annual appropriation in excess of $5 million.

This provision is identical to HB 1229 (2025) and to a provision in SS/SCS/SB 80 (2025), SS#2/SCS/HB 199 (2025), and SCS/HB 643 (2025).

JOSH NORBERG

Statutes affected:
Introduced (2675S.01): 67.1157

Senate Committee Minutes:
SENATE COMMITTEE MINUTES Bill No.: SB 676
Sponsor: Schroer
Hearing Date: 4/9/2025


COMMITTEE: Economic and Workforce Development

CHAIRMAN: Brown (26)

DATE REFERRED: 3/24/2025 DATE HEARING REQUESTED: 4/7/2025



STAFF:
Frank Catanzaro
Josh Norberg


WITNESSES GIVING INFORMATION:



WITNESSES FOR:
Fred Dyer
Stephen Powell - St. Charles County Convention & Sports Facility Authority
Arnie Dienoff
Robert Guinness - St. Charles County Convention & Sports Facility Authority


WITNESSES AGAINST: