Sec. 11. (a) As used in this section, "fund" refers to the West Baden Springs historic hotel preservation and maintenance fund established by subsection (b).

(b) The West Baden Springs historic hotel preservation and maintenance fund is established. The fund consists of the following:

(1) Amounts deposited in the fund under IC 4-33-6.5-6, IC 4-33-12-6 (before the enactment of P.L.96-2010), IC 4-33-13-5(b), IC 6-9-45.5, and IC 6-9-45.6.

(2) Grants and gifts that the department of natural resources receives for the fund under terms, obligations, and liabilities that the department considers appropriate.

(3) The one million dollar ($1,000,000) initial fee paid to the gaming commission under IC 4-33-6.5.

(4) Any amount transferred to the fund upon the repeal of IC 36-7-11.5-8 (the community trust fund).

The fund shall be administered by the department of natural resources. The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from money in the fund.

(c) The treasurer of state shall invest the money in the fund that is not currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the same manner as other public funds may be invested. The treasurer of state shall deposit in the fund the interest that accrues from the investment of the fund.

(d) Money in the fund at the end of a state fiscal year does not revert to the state general fund.

(e) Two million dollars ($2,000,000) is appropriated from the fund to the department of natural resources in each state fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2015. The money appropriated under this subsection may be used by the department of natural resources only for the following purposes:

(1) To reimburse claims made for expenditures for a qualified historic hotel, as determined by the owner of the hotel riverboat resort.

(2) To reimburse claims made for expenditures to maintain:

(A) the grounds surrounding a qualified historic hotel;

(B) supporting buildings and structures related to a qualified historic hotel; and

(C) other facilities used by the guests of the qualified historic hotel;

as determined by the owner of the hotel riverboat resort.

The department of natural resources shall promptly pay each claim for a purpose described in this subsection, without review or approval of the project or claim under IC 14-21 or IC 36-7-11. IC 14-21-1-18 does not apply to projects or claims paid for maintenance under this section. If insufficient money is available to fully pay all of the submitted claims, the department of natural resources shall pay the claims in the order in which they are received until each claim is fully paid.

(f) Notwithstanding IC 4-9.1-1-7, IC 4-12-1-12, IC 4-13-2-18, or any other law, interest accruing to the fund may not be withheld, transferred, assigned, or reassigned to a purpose other than the reimbursement of claims under subsection (e).

As added by P.L.92-2003, SEC.62. Amended by P.L.97-2004, SEC.128; P.L.234-2007, SEC.287; P.L.96-2010, SEC.5; P.L.229-2011, SEC.266; P.L.255-2015, SEC.64; P.L.293-2019, SEC.47.