SPONSOR: Allen
This bill authorizes a county with a population between 230,000 and 260,000 inhabitants to establish a county sports complex authority for the purpose of developing, maintaining, or operating sports, convention, exhibition, or trade facilities.
The authority will be led by a commission, whose membership and terms of service are provided in the bill.
The authority will have the same powers as other county sports complex authorities as provided in current law.
The county is authorized to establish a Convention and Sports Complex Fund. This will be separate from the general funds of the county. The General Assembly may annually appropriate up to $3 million into the fund, provided that the county or the authority has entered into a contract or lease with a professional sports team on or after January 1, 2026. In order to receive appropriations of state money pursuant to the bill, the county must enact ordinances or rules for the purchase of goods and services and for construction of capital improvements for facilities administered by the authority, and commence paying into the fund an amount sufficient for the county to contribute at least $3 million per calendar year. Appropriations of state money will not exceed the amount contributed by the county into the fund.
The county must submit an annual report to the General Assembly, as specified in the bill.
Upon enactment, this bill applies to Clay County.
This bill is similar to SB 710 (2025).
Statutes affected: