Monday, April 29, 2013 - 17:15
The Marine Trades Association of Maryland (MTAM) recently sent out a summary of 51 bills that were of particular importance to boaters in Maryland. While the excise tax bill was certainly something to be relieved over, there were 50 others that should be on your radar. Here's their summary:
A summary of some of the more important bills we followed is here:
SB 90 Passed
Natural Resources - Vessel Excise Tax - Maximum Tax
This will have a very positive economic impact for our industry. We will relate much more on this following the signing of the bill scheduled for either May 2nd or May 16th.
Caps Excise Tax on boats at $15,000, bill has a 3 year sunset, further, the bill requires, after required distributions, .5% of the motor fuel tax to be distributed to the Waterway Improvement Fund.
HB 669/SB 447 Passed
Business Regulation - Introduction of Additives into Gasoline - authorization
This bill allows additives to be introduced during in-line blending like ValvTect.
HB 797 Passed
Transportation Projects - Bridges - Water Access
Requires construction or improvement projects on bridges consider reasonable measures to improve water access for fishing, canoeing and kayaking.
HB 954/SB763 Passed
Env - Wetlands and Waterways Authorizations - Installation of Personal Watercraft Lifts This bill allows 2 additional PWC slips at residential docks.
HB 1162 Failed
Sales and Use Tax - Luxury Tax
This was another attempt at a luxury tax on boats which we worked to defeat.
HB 1204/SB683 Failed
Labor Employment - Maryland Wage and Hour Law - Payment of Wages
HB 1210 Failed
Waterway Improvement Fund - Revenue Distributions - Marinas
Distributed specified revenues from the motor fuel tax and the sales and use tax to the Waterway Improvement Fund.
HB 1515/SB1054 Passed
Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013
This Administration bill (1) imposes additional motor fuel taxes on all fuels except aviation gasoline and turbine fuel based on the retail price of gasoline and inflation; (2) places restrictions on transfers from the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) and use of TTF monies; (3) increases the vehicle registration fee surcharge, the revenue from which is credited to the Maryland Emergency Medical System Operations Fund (MEMSOF); and (4) requires the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) to increase base fare prices beginning in fiscal 2015.
Key provisions of HB 1515 include: (1) Phasing in a 3 percent sales tax on the price of gasoline over 3 years. (2) Indexing the excise tax on gasoline based on the Consumer Price Index; but, capping the increase at 8 percent per year. Maryland motorists who drive 15,000 miles a year in a car that gets 22 miles per gallon face a $27 annual gas tax increase in July, according to calculations by officials at Towson University's Regional Economic Studies Institute.
SB 829, a companion measure, is a Constitutional Amendment creating a "lockbox" to prevent raids on the Transportation Trust Fund for other purposes. The proposal, which will be submitted to the voters next year (November 2014), provides that money can only be taken out of the Transportation Trust Fund after a three-fifths vote of both Houses of the Maryland General Assembly once the Governor has declared a state of "fiscal emergency."
SB 74 Passed
Vessels - Operating While Under the Influence of or Impaired by Alcohol or Drugs
Took existing law and expanded to include non-powered sailboats of a certain size
SB 451/HB412 Failed
Vessel Excise Tax - Exemption fo Commercial Enterprises Paying the Admissions and Amusement Tax
Exempted cruise/tour boats from the Excise Tax that also paid Admissions and Amusement Tax.