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.".