HB 1578

AN ACT relative to the joint promotional program and making an appropriation therefor.

SPONSORS: Rep. Avery, Ches 8; Rep. M. Fuller Clark, Rock 36; Rep. Dickinson, Carr 2; Sen. Johnson, Dist 3; Sen. Hollingworth, Dist 23

This bill provides that funds appropriated for the joint promotional program shall be expended, in addition to existing purposes, for in-state tourism development and development of products assisting tourism promotion. This bill provides that members of the joint promotional screening committee and organizations they belong to shall not apply for program funds. This bill makes groups or organizations that promote travel and tourism in the state and which have been in existence for at least 2 years eligible for program funds. This bill also makes an appropriation to fund the program.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

AN ACT relative to the joint promotional program and making an appropriation therefor.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Resources and Economic Development; Joint Promotional Program; Advertising and Development. Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 12-A:1-e to read as follows:

12-A:1-e Joint Promotional Program. A joint promotional advertising and development program is hereby established to carry out the duties of the department of resources and economic development as set forth in RSA 12-A:1-c to publicize the advantages of the state of New Hampshire for tourism and to encourage continuous partnership with private industry in this promotion in order to maintain a viable and strong economic base in the state.

2 Resources and Economic Development; Joint Promotional Program; Expenditure of Funds. Amend RSA 12-A:1-e, I to read as follows:

I. The department of resources and economic development shall administer a joint promotional advertising and development program in cooperation with a joint promotional program screening committee. The funds appropriated for this program shall be expended for grants for tourism product development and advertising programs, including out-of-state and in-state advertising, entered into with independent groups or organizations which [~~are designed to~~] promote travel and tourism in the state of New Hampshire.

3 Joint Promotional Program; Entities Qualified to Receive Grant Funds . Amend RSA 12-A:1-e, V to read as follows:

V. Funds appropriated to the joint promotional program shall only be made available to regional associations, state-wide tourist groups, chambers of commerce or other [~~promotional~~] organizations as may be certified by the screening committee with the approval of the commissioner of the department of resources and economic development. Such grants shall only be given to those organizations which have been in existence for at least [3] 2 years prior to the date of the grant application.

4 New Paragraph; Entities Not Eligible. Amend RSA 12-A:1-e by inserting after paragraph V the following new paragraph:

V-a. No member of the screening committee or an organization which has as a member any member of the screening committee may apply for grant funds under this program or be eligible for such funds.

5 Appropriation. The sum of $1,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001 is hereby appropriated from the general fund to the department of resources and economic development for the purpose of funding the joint promotional program under RSA 12-A:1-e. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

AN ACT relative to the joint promotional program and making an appropriation therefor.

The Department of Resources and Economic Development has determined this bill will increase state expenditures by $1,000,000, increase state revenue by $7,610,000 and increase local revenue by $1,520,000 in FY 2001. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local expenditures or county revenue.

This bill appropriates $1,000,000 in general funds to the Department of Resources and Economic Development in FY 2001.

The Department, based on a model prepared by the Virginia Tourist Development Group and other surveys and studies, has assumed a return of investment on $1.00 of tourism funding to generate $7.61 for the state and $1.52 for locals. Revenue sources affected include: rooms and meals, gasoline taxes, licenses, liquor sales, sweepstakes sales, business profits taxes and business enterprise taxes. The model also takes into account the matching funds generated by the Joint Promotional Program.