08 LC 14
9812S
The
House Committee on Ways and Means offers the following substitute to HB
302:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Code Section 48-13-51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to the excise tax on the furnishing for value to the public of any rooms,
lodgings, or accommodations, so as to change certain provisions regarding the
levy and collection of such tax in certain counties and municipalities; to
provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Code
Section 48-13-51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
excise tax on the furnishing for value to the public of any rooms, lodgings, or
accommodations, is amended by repealing subparagraph (a)(3.7)(C) which reads as
follows:
"(C)
In addition to the amounts required to be expended under this paragraph, a
county or municipality levying a tax pursuant to this paragraph and in which an
international horse park used in Olympic Games competition is in operation prior
to January 1, 1999, shall further expend (in each fiscal year during which the
tax is collected under this paragraph) an amount equal to 16 2/3 percent of the
total taxes collected at the rate of 6 percent for the purpose of constructing,
developing, supporting, and operating a nature center, nature park, wetlands
education center, or nature museum for educational and recreational purposes or
any other similar purposes. Amounts which are expended to meet the 16 2/3
percent expenditure requirement of this subparagraph shall not be subject to the
provisions of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph requiring expenditure through a
contract or contracts with certain entities."
SECTION
2.
Said
Code section is further amended in subsection (a) by adding a new paragraph
(3.8) to read as follows:
"(3.8)(A)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, a county (within the
territorial limits of the special district located within the county) or
municipality may levy a tax under this Code section at a rate of 8 percent if
there is located in such county or municipality an international horse park
which was used in Olympic Games competition and which was in operation prior to
January 1, 1999. A county or municipality levying a tax pursuant to this
paragraph shall expend (in each fiscal year during which the tax is collected
under this paragraph) an amount equal to the amount by which the total taxes
collected under this Code section exceed the taxes which would be collected at a
rate of 4 percent for the purpose of:
(i)
Promoting tourism, conventions, and trade shows; or
(ii)
Supporting a publicly owned facility operated for convention and trade show
purposes or any other similar or related purposes;
(B)
Amounts expended pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be
expended only through a contract or contracts with the state, a department of
state government, a state authority, a convention and visitors bureau authority
created by local Act of the General Assembly for a municipality, or a private
sector nonprofit organization or through a contract or contracts with some
combination of such entities.
(C)
In addition to the other amounts required to be expended under this paragraph, a
county or municipality levying a tax pursuant to this paragraph shall further
expend (in each fiscal year during which the tax is collected under this
paragraph) an amount equal to 16 2/3 percent of the total taxes collected at the
rate of 8 percent for the purpose of constructing, developing, supporting, and
operating a nature center, nature park, wetlands education center, or nature
museum for educational and recreational purposes or any other similar purposes.
Amounts which are expended to meet the 16 2/3 percent expenditure requirement of
this subparagraph shall not be subject to the provisions of subparagraph (B) of
this paragraph requiring expenditure through a contract or contracts with
certain entities."
SECTION
3.
This
Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its
becoming law without such approval.
SECTION
4.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.