PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                             Ch. 117

General Hospital, Inc. for certain acquisition, development, or improvement
purposes; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement
that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; and providing generally for
the issuance and sale of bonds evidencing the loan.

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That:

(1)     The Board of Public Works may borrow money and incur indebtedness on
behalf of the State of Maryland through a State loan to be known as the Howard County
General Hospital Loan of 1996 in a total principal amount equal to the lesser of (i)
$450,000 or (ii) the amount of the matching fund provided in accordance with Section
1(5) below. This loan shall be evidenced by the issuance, sale, and delivery of State
general obligation bonds authorized by a resolution of the Board of Public Works and
issued, sold, and delivered in accordance with §§ 8-117 through 8-124 of the State
Finance and Procurement Article and Article 31, § 22 of the Code.

(2)     The bonds to evidence this loan or installments of this loan may be sold as a
single issue or may be consolidated and sold as part of a single issue of bonds under §
8-122 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.

(3)     The cash proceeds of the sale of the bonds shall be paid to the Treasurer and
first shall be applied to the payment of the expenses of issuing, selling, and delivering the
bonds, unless funds for this purpose are otherwise provided, and then shall be credited on
the books of the Comptroller and expended, on approval by the Board of Public Works,
for the following public purposes, including any applicable architects' and engineers' fees:
as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Howard County General Hospital, Inc.
(referred to hereafter in this Act as "the grantee") for the planning, design, renovation,
reconstruction and construction of, and for the provision of capital equipment for, the
existing Hospital, in order to create emergency facilities, observation facilities, and
inpatient care areas, with a focus on special pediatric care services, to be located at 5755
Cedar Lane in Columbia.

(4)     An annual State tax is imposed on all assessable property in the State in rate
and amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, as and when due
and until paid in full. The principal shall be discharged within 15 years after the date of
issuance of the bonds.

(5)     Prior to the payment of any funds under the provisions of this Act for the
purposes set forth in Section 1(3) above, the grantee shall provide and expend a matching
fund. No part of the grantee's matching fund may be provided, either directly or
indirectly, from funds of the State, whether appropriated or unappropriated. No part of
the fund may consist of real property or in kind contributions. The fund may consist of
funds expended prior to the effective date of this Act. In case of any dispute as to the
amount of the matching fund or what money or assets may qualify as matching funds, the
Board of Public Works shall determine the matter and the Board's decision is final. The
grantee has until June 1, 1998, to present evidence satisfactory to the Board of Public
Works that a matching fund will be provided. If satisfactory evidence is presented, the
Board shall certify this fact and the amount of the matching fund to the State Treasurer,
and the proceeds of the loan equal to the amount of the matching fund shall be expended

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