SPONSOR: Costlow
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Economic Development by a vote of 14 to 0.
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 bill 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 will be eligible to receive up to 50% of the incremental increase in state general revenue sales taxes generated by activity located within the project area, subject to appropriation. A project area will not be eligible for the 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 will jointly evaluate applications for new state revenues, and the revenues will not be distributed until certain conditions are met, as provided in the bill.
The bill specifies that the total amount of new state revenues that may be appropriated in any given year cannot exceed $10 million, and no single project can receive an annual appropriation in excess of $5 million.
This bill is the same as SB 676 (2025).
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that this bill could apply to multiple counties with growing populations and will lead to economic growth. Proponents say this bill will allow sporting centers to attract youth sports tournaments that can bring in money to counties and businesses. Supporters also say the bill will help to fill the gap in the large cost to building sporting event facilities.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Costlow; Robert Guinness, St Charles County Convention and Sports Facilities Authority; Fred Dyer; Stephen Powell; Arnie Dienoff.
OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee. Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: