Senate Bill No. 583–Committee on Finance

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to tourism; establishing a grant program for the development of projects relating to tourism; creating a committee to administer the grant program; prescribing the membership and duties of the committee; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

   Section 1. Chapter 231 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto

 the provisions set forth as sections 2 to 7, inclusive, of this act.

   Sec. 2.  As used in sections 2 to 7, inclusive, of this act, unless the

 context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in sections 3, 4

 and 5 of this act have the meanings ascribed to them in those sections.

   Sec. 3.  “Committee” means the committee for the development of

 projects relating to tourism created by section 6 of this act.

   Sec. 4. “Development of projects relating to tourism” means the

 development of publicly owned property, facilities and infrastructure

 within this state to support and attract visitors to this state.

   Sec. 5. “Grant program” means the grant program administered by

 the committee for the development of projects relating to tourism.

   Sec. 6.  1.  The committee for the development of projects relating to

 tourism is hereby created within the commission on tourism. The

 committee consists of:

   (a) The lieutenant governor, who is an ex officio member of the

 committee and shall serve as the chairman of the committee;

   (b) Three members of the commission on economic development,

 appointed by the lieutenant governor; and

   (c) Three members of the commission on tourism, appointed by the

 lieutenant governor.

   2.  If an appointed member of the committee ceases to be a member of

 the commission on economic development or the commission on

 tourism, the appointed member becomes ineligible for membership on

 the committee and the lieutenant governor shall appoint a replacement

 from the commission on economic development or the commission on

 tourism, respectively.

   3.  The lieutenant governor may remove an appointed member from

 the committee if the member neglects his duty or commits malfeasance

 in office.

   4.  The appointed members of the committee who are members of the

 commission on economic development or the commission on tourism,

 respectively, may be paid the per diem allowance and travel expenses

 provided for state officers and employees generally by their respective

 commissions, as the budgets of those commissions allow.

   5.  The committee shall meet at the call of the lieutenant governor.

   6.  The commission on tourism and the commission on economic

 development shall jointly provide administrative support for the

 committee.

   Sec. 7.  1.  The committee may provide grants of money to counties,

cities, and local and regional organizations in this state for the

 development of projects relating to tourism to the extent that:

   (a) Money in the fund for the promotion of tourism created by NRS

 231.250 is made available for that purpose. Not more than $200,000 of

 revenue from taxes on the gross receipts from the rental of transient

 lodging may be made available for that purpose in any biennium.

   (b) Gifts, grants or other money is made available for that purpose.

   2.  Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the state

 controller shall, upon the request of the committee, transfer to the state

 general fund all money made available for the use of the committee

 pursuant to subsection 1. All such money must be accounted for

 separately in the state general fund. The state controller shall not

 transfer any revenue from taxes on the gross receipts from the rental of

 transient lodging from the fund for the promotion of tourism to the state

 general fund unless the transfer is approved by the interim finance

 committee.

   3.  The committee shall administer the account created pursuant to

 subsection 2 and may make grants only from that account. Any interest

 earned on the money in the account must be credited to the account

 quarterly. The money in the account does not revert to the state general

 fund at the end of any fiscal year and must be carried forward to the

 next fiscal year.

   4.  The committee shall:

   (a) Develop and administer the grant program for the development of

 projects relating to tourism;

   (b) Establish guidelines for the submission and review of applications

 to receive money from the grant program;

   (c) Establish the criteria for eligibility to receive money from the grant

 program; and

   (d) Consider and approve or disapprove applications for money from

 the grant program.

   5.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 6, as a condition of

 eligibility for a grant from the committee pursuant to this section, an

 applicant must provide an amount of money, at least equal to the

 amount of the grant, for the same purpose.

   6.  If an applicant for a grant is from a county whose population is

 less than 100,000 and the committee determines that the applicant is

 financially unable to provide the matching money otherwise required by

 subsection 5, the committee may provide a grant with less than equal

 matching money provided by the applicant.

   Sec. 8.  NRS 231.220 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   231.220  The executive director of the commission on tourism shall

 direct and supervise all its administrative and technical activities,

 including coordinating its plans for tourism and publications, scheduling

 its programs, analyzing the effectiveness of those programs and associated

 expenditures, and cooperating with other governmental agencies which

 have programs related to travel and tourism. In addition to other powers

 and duties, the executive director:

   1.  Shall attend all meetings of the commission and act as its secretary,

keeping minutes of its proceedings.

   2.  Shall report regularly to the commission concerning the

 administration of its policies and programs.

   3.  Shall serve as the director of the division of tourism.

   4.  Shall appoint the administrator of the division of publications.

   5.  May perform any other lawful acts which he considers necessary to

 carry out the provisions of NRS 231.160 to 231.300, inclusive[.] , and

 sections 2 to 7, inclusive, of this act.

   Sec. 9.  On or before July 1, 2001, the state controller shall transfer to

 the account created in the state general fund pursuant to subsection 2 of

 section 7 of this act all money in the fund for the promotion of tourism

 created by NRS 231.250 which has been granted by the commission on

 tourism but not yet disbursed for the V. & T. Railroad reconstruction

 project. The money so transferred must remain in the account until it is

 disbursed by the commission on tourism for the V. & T. Railroad

 reconstruction project.

   Sec. 10.  1.  This section and section 9 of this act become effective

 upon passage and approval.

   2.  Sections 1 to 8, inclusive, of this act become effective on July 1,

 2001.

 

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