Brief (1)
HB 2515 relates to convention and tourism committees. The bill would give a governing body of a city or county which levies a transient guest tax the option of establishing a convention and tourism committee. Current law requires local governing bodies which levy transient guest taxes to establish such committees.
The bill would allow the governing body to establish the method for appointing members to the committee and to set the length of an appointee's term of office, but not to exceed four years.
The bill would also impose a moratorium on the enactment of franchise or right-of-way ordinances which substantially modify the relationship between telecommunications providers and municipalities as they existed on January 1, 2001. Municipalities would be permitted to enact franchise or right-or-way ordinances or agreements with new telecommunications providers if the terms and conditions are consistent with those in place with other providers before December 31, 2000. Under the bill, representatives of municipalities and telecommunications providers would be required to confer and report their progress to the Joint Committee on Economic Development three times before December 31, 2001.
The bill would take effect from and after its publication in the statute book.
Background
Representative Kuether testified in support of the bill. She indicated that the bill would give cities and counties an option in deciding whether or not to establish convention and tourism committees.
There were no other conferees.
The House Committee recommended that the bill be placed on the consent calendar.
The Senate Committee amended the bill to include the moratorium and reporting provisions for telecommunications franchise and right-of-way issues. This moratorium came about as a result of negotiations on SB 306 of the 2001 Legislative Session.
According the Division of the Budget, passage of HB 2515 would have no fiscal impact.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext.cgi