CHAPTER 41
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
SUBCHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
SUBCHAPTER II
TOURISM PROMOTION
41.12 Council on tourism.
41.16 Grants to municipalities and organizations for regional tourist information centers.
41.17 Joint effort marketing.
41.21 Marketing clearinghouse.
41.23 Sale of excess or surplus property.
41.24 Payments to the WPGA Junior Foundation.
SUBCHAPTER III
KICKAPOO VALLEY RESERVE
41.40 Kickapoo land acquisition; reserve designation.
41.41 Kickapoo valley reserve.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
41.01
41.01
Definitions. In this chapter:
41.01(1)
(1) "Department" means the department of tourism.
41.01(2)
(2) "Secretary" means the secretary of tourism.
41.01 History
History: 1995 a. 27.
TOURISM PROMOTION
41.11(1)(1)
General Duties. The department shall:
41.11(1)(a)
(a) Stimulate, promote, advertise and publicize tourism to the state by those who live in other states and foreign countries.
41.11(1)(b)
(b) Promote travel by citizens of this state to this state's scenic, historic, natural, agricultural, educational and recreational attractions.
41.11(1)(c)
(c) Create an accurate national and international image of the state.
41.11(1)(d)
(d) Encourage all tourism-related businesses to participate in available education programs.
41.11(1)(e)
(e) Encourage and cooperate with communities, groups and individuals in the state in pursuing the tourism promotion objectives of the department.
41.11(1)(f)
(f) Coordinate and stimulate the orderly and ecologically sound development of commercial tourist facilities throughout the state.
41.11(1)(g)
(g) Promote the growth of the tourism and recreation industry through research, planning and assistance.
41.11(1)(h)
(h) Annually report to the senate natural resources committee and the assembly committee on tourism the activities, receipts and disbursements of the department for the previous fiscal year.
41.11(1g)
(1g) Goals and accountability measures for economic development programs. 41.11(1g)(a)(a) In this subsection, "economic development program" means a program or activity having the primary purpose of encouraging the establishment and growth of business in this state, including the creation and retention of jobs, and that satisfies all of the following:
41.11(1g)(a)1.
1. The program receives funding from the state or federal government that is allocated through an appropriation under
ch. 20.
41.11(1g)(a)2.
2. The program provides financial assistance, tax benefits, or direct services to specific industries, businesses, local governments, or organizations.
41.11(1g)(b)
(b) The department, in consultation with the department of commerce, shall do all of the following for each economic development program administered by the department:
41.11(1g)(b)1.
1. Establish clear and measurable goals for the program that are tied to statutory policy objectives.
41.11(1g)(b)2.
2. Establish at least one quantifiable benchmark for each program goal described in
subd. 1.
41.11(1g)(b)3.
3. Require that each recipient of a grant or loan under the program submit a report to the department. Each contract with a recipient of a grant or loan under the program shall specify the frequency and format of the report to be submitted to the department and the performance measures to be included in the report.
41.11(1g)(b)4.
4. Establish a method for evaluating the projected results of the program with actual outcomes as determined by evaluating the information described in
subds. 1. and
2.
41.11(1g)(b)5.
5. Annually and independently verify, from a sample of grants and loans, the accuracy of the information required to be reported under
subd. 3.
41.11(1g)(b)6.
6. Establish by rule a requirement that the recipient of a grant or loan under the program of at least $100,000 submit to the department a verified statement signed by both an independent certified public accountant licensed or certified under
ch. 442 and the director or principal officer of the recipient to attest to the accuracy of the verified statement, and make available for inspection the documents supporting the verified statement. The department shall include the requirement established by rule under this subdivision in the contract entered into by a grant or loan recipient.
41.11(1g)(b)7.
7. Establish by rule policies and procedures permitting the department to do all of the following if a recipient of a grant or loan or tax benefits under the program submits false or misleading information to the department or fails to comply with the terms of a contract entered into with the department under the program and fails to provide to the satisfaction of the department an explanation for the noncompliance:
41.11(1r)
(1r) Economic development assistance reporting. Annually, no later than October 1, the department shall submit to the joint legislative audit committee and to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under
s. 13.172 (3) a comprehensive report assessing economic development programs, as defined in
sub. (1g) (a), administered by the department. The report shall include all of the information required under
s. 560.01 (2) (am). The department shall collaborate with the department of commerce to make readily accessible to the public on an Internet-based system the information required under this subsection.
41.11(2)
(2) Sales. The secretary shall annually formulate, in consultation with the 5 members of the council on tourism selected under
s. 41.12, a statewide marketing strategy, which is a plan for marketing and promotion of the facilities and attractions of the state for the ensuing year. The department shall implement the plan. The department shall cooperate with the commercial recreation industry to assure coordination with private plans and programs, and may assist in the development and marketing of combined recreational opportunities such as package tours, convention and trade show facilities and special transportation arrangements.
41.11(3)
(3) Services. The department shall assist the consumers and the suppliers of recreational opportunities in the state. The department may:
41.11(3)(a)
(a) Collect and disseminate information as to the facilities, advantages and attractions of the state, including historic, scenic and other points of interest.
41.11(3)(b)
(b) Provide timely information regarding weather, transportation facilities, hunting, fishing, boating, motoring, snowmobiling and skiing conditions and other subjects of interest to those seeking recreational opportunities in the state.
