<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="glg" article_name="Local Government" number="20-428" future_version_removed="true" title_number="20" title_name="Taxes and Development Impact Fees" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Hotel Rental Taxes">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, to protect hotel rental tax revenue, a county may require a hotel to file security with the county in an amount that the county determines.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Cecil County, Talbot County, and Wicomico County may require security under this section only for a hotel that has been in default.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Security under this section shall be:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>a bond issued by a surety company that is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>authorized to do business in the State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>approved by the Insurance Commissioner as to solvency and responsibility;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>cash; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>security approved by the county.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If security is required under this section, the county shall give the hotel notice of the amount of security.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Within 5 days after a hotel receives notice that security is required, the hotel shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>file the security; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>submit a written request for a hearing on the security requirement.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If a hearing is requested under subsection (c) of this section, the county shall hold a hearing to determine the necessity, propriety, and amount of the security.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The determination at the hearing is final.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The hotel shall comply within 15 days after the hotel receives notice of the determination.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>Without notice to the hotel that files security under subsection (b)(2) or (3) of this section, the county at any time may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>apply the cash to the hotel rental tax due; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>sell the security and apply the proceeds of the sale to the hotel rental tax due.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
