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<section article="gab" article_name="Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis" number="1-322" title_number="1" title_name="Definitions; General Provisions" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Administration” has the meaning stated in § 36–101 of this article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Cannabis licensee” has the meaning stated in § 36–101 of this article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Grant Program” means the Social Equity Partnership Grant Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Office” means the Office of Social Equity.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Qualifying partnership” means a meaningful partnership between an operational cannabis licensee and a social equity licensee that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>supports or advises the social equity licensee; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>is authorized by the Administration.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Qualifying partnership” includes a partnership through which the operational cannabis licensee provides any of the following to a social equity licensee:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>training;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>mentorship; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>shared commercial space or equipment.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>“Social equity licensee” has the meaning stated in § 36–101 of this article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>There is a Social Equity Partnership Grant Program in the Office.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The purpose of the Grant Program is to promote qualifying partnerships between operational cannabis licensees and social equity licensees.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Office shall implement and administer the Grant Program, including by clearly defining the parameters of a qualifying partnership.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, the Office has discretion to approve, deny, or revoke qualifying partnerships.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Office may approve qualifying partnerships where a cost or other fee is imposed by an operational cannabis licensee on a social equity licensee if the cost or other fee is substantially reduced from the market value.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Costs or other fees under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph may include charges for the rent of facilities or equipment.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Office shall award grants to operational cannabis licensees that have qualifying partnerships with a social equity licensee.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Grant amounts shall be based on the nature of the qualifying partnership between the social equity licensee and the operational cannabis licensee.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>If an operational cannabis licensee has a license that was converted by the Administration under § 36–401(b)(1)(ii) of this article, the total amount of grants issued by the Office under this section to the licensee may not exceed:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the cost of the license conversion fee that was paid by the licensee; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>$250,000 per year per qualifying partnership.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Office may require a grant recipient that fails to fulfill the requirements of the grant to return all or part of the grant to the Grant Program.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>For fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $5,000,000 for the Grant Program, utilizing the Cannabis Regulation and Enforcement Fund established under § 36–206 of this article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Office shall adopt regulations to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>implement the provisions of this section;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>administer the Grant Program;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>establish eligibility and grant application requirements;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>establish a process for reviewing grant applications and awarding grants to operational cannabis licensees; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>specify criteria and procedures to monitor eligibility for the grants authorized under this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
