SB578: Bill Text

MES:klm

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Senate BILL 578

January 15, 2016 - Introduced by Senator Roth, cosponsored by Representatives Rohrkaste and Vorpagel. Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism.

SB578,1,3 An Act to renumber and amend 66.0615 (1) (f); to amend 66.0615 (1m) (d) 8.; and to create 66.0615 (1) (f) 1. and 66.0615 (1) (f) 2. of the statutes; relating to: changes affecting tourism entities under the room tax.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill changes the definition, and membership of the governing body, of a tourism entity under the room tax.

Under the bill, and subject to two exceptions, a tourism entity is defined as a nonprofit organization that came into existence before January 1, 2015, spends at least 51 percent of its revenues on tourism promotion and development, and provides tourism staff and services in a municipality. If no such organization exists, the bill authorizes a municipality to contract with a nonprofit entity that has either of the following sets of attributes:

1. An organization that spends at least 51 percent of its revenues on tourism promotion and development and provides tourism staff and services in a municipality.

2. An organization that was incorporated before January 1, 2015, spends 100 percent of the room tax revenues it receives from a municipality on tourism promotion and development, and provides tourism staff and services in a municipality.

The bill also expands the allowable required membership of the governing body of a tourism entity. Current law requires the membership to include at least one owner or operator of a lodging facility that collects room tax and that is located in the municipality for which the room tax is collected. Under the bill, a tourism entity's membership must include either the current required membership or at least four owners or operators of lodging facilities that are located in the tourism zone for which the room tax is collected. Under current law, a tourism zone is an area made up of two or more municipalities that, those municipalities agree, is a single destination as perceived by the traveling public.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB578,1 Section 1. 66.0615 (1) (f) of the statutes, as affected by 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, is renumbered 66.0615 (1) (f) (intro.) and amended to read:

SB578,2,9 66.0615 (1) (f) (intro.) "Tourism entity" means a nonprofit organization that came into existence before January 1, 1992 2015, spends at least 51 percent of its revenues on tourism promotion and tourism development, and provides destination marketing staff and services for the tourism industry in a municipality, except that if no such organization exists in a municipality on January 1, 2016, a municipality may contract with such an organization if one is created in the municipality. one of the following entities:

SB578,2 Section 2. 66.0615 (1) (f) 1. of the statutes is created to read:

SB578,2,13 66.0615 (1) (f) 1. A nonprofit organization that spends at least 51 percent of its revenues on tourism promotion and tourism development, and provides destination marketing staff and services for the tourism industry in a municipality.

SB578,3 Section 3. 66.0615 (1) (f) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

SB578,2,18 66.0615 (1) (f) 2. A nonprofit organization that was incorporated before January 1, 2015, spends 100 percent of the room tax revenue it receives from a municipality on tourism promotion and tourism development, and provides destination marketing staff and services for the tourism industry in a municipality.

SB578,4 Section 4. 66.0615 (1m) (d) 8. of the statutes, as created by 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, is amended to read:

SB578,3,8 66.0615 (1m) (d) 8. The governing body of a tourism entity shall include either at least one owner or operator of a lodging facility that collects the room tax described in this section and that is located in the municipality for which the room tax is collected or at least 4 owners or operators of lodging facilities that collect the room tax described in this section and that are located in the zone for which the room tax is collected. Subdivision 4., as it applies to a commission, applies to a tourism entity.

SB578,3,9 (End)