PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                             Ch. 457

(4)     The [Department] TRUST shall make grants for museums giving due
consideration to equal geographic distribution throughout the State.

(5)     [A grant may not exceed $20,000 for any single museum in any 1 year.

(6)] The [Department] TRUST may not make a grant for a museum under
this Program unless the museum has been in existence as a nonprofit institution for at
least 3 years prior to the date of application for the grant.

(c)     The [Department] TRUST shall:

(1)     Conduct a survey to identify the locations, resources, and needs of
museums in the State;

(2)     Provide technical and general advisory assistance to museums that
qualify or seek to qualify for grants under the Program; and

(3)     Encourage the development of long-range planning and accreditation by
the American Association of Museums or other pertinent entity that provides museum
accreditation and assists museums in meeting professional standards.

(d)     (1) The Department shall adopt regulations to carry out the purposes of the
Program.

(2) The regulations shall include:

(i) Application procedures and review processes;

(ii) Procedures for adequate public notice of available assistance
under the Program; and

(iii) A set of selection criteria which the Review Panel shall consider in
recommending approval of applications for grants and which must include:

1.       The relative merits of the project or activities within
identified statewide needs;

2.       The extent to which there is any contribution by the
appropriate local jurisdiction to support the project being financed with the grant;

3.       The potential for the project to stimulate increased tourism,
attendance, or museum self-sufficiency; and

4.       Other factors that may be relevant, such as the geographic
distribution of grant assistance under the Program.

(e)     (1) A person may not knowingly make or cause to be made any material
misstatement of fact in a statement or report in or regarding an application for a grant or
affecting a grant already made.

(2) Any person who violates any provision of this subsection is guilty of a
misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or imprisonment
not exceeding 2 years or both.

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