Adopted by House 8-20-07
HB206 HFIN AM 8-19
The Committee on Finance moves to amend the bill on page one,
by striking out everything after the enacting section and inserting
in lieu thereof the following:
"ARTICLE 2. WEST VIRGINIA DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
§5B-2-12. Tourism promotion fund created; use of funds.
There is hereby continued in the State Treasury the special
revenue fund known as the "Tourism Promotion Fund" created under
prior enactment of section nine, article one of this chapter.
(a) The Legislature finds that a courtesy patrol program
providing assistance to motorists on the state's highways is one of
the most beneficial methods to introduce a tourist visiting the
state of the state's hospitality and good will. For that reason,
four million seven hundred thousand dollars of the moneys deposited
in the fund each year shall be deposited in a special revenue
account in the State Treasury to be known as the "Courtesy Patrol
fund Fund". Expenditures from the fund shall be used solely to
fund the courtesy patrol program providing assistance to motorists
on the state's highways. Amounts collected in the fund which are
found from time to time to exceed funds needed for the purposes set
forth in this subsection may be transferred to other accounts or
funds and redesignated for other purposes by appropriation of the
Legislature.
(b) If there are funds remaining after the distribution required in subsection (a) of this section, a minimum of five
percent of the moneys deposited remaining in the fund each year
shall be used solely for direct advertising for West Virginia
travel and tourism. Provided, That no less than twenty percent of
these funds be expended, with the approval of the Director of the
Division of Natural Resources, to effectively promote and market
the state's parks, state forests, state recreation areas and
wildlife recreational resources. Direct advertising means
advertising which is limited to television, radio, mailings,
newspaper, magazines, the internet and outdoor billboards, or any
combination thereof.
(c) The balance of the moneys deposited in the fund shall be
used for direct advertising within the state's travel regions as
defined by the commission. The funds shall be made available to
these districts beginning the first day of July, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-five, according to legislative rules authorized for
promulgation by the Tourism Commission.
(d) All advertising expenditures over twenty-five thousand
dollars from the tourism promotion fund require prior approval by
recorded vote of the commission. No member of the commission or of
any committee created by the commission to evaluate applications
for advertising or other grants may participate in the discussion
of, or action upon, an application for or an award of any grant in
which the member has a direct financial interest.".