BILL REQ. #:  S-1710.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/13/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to local tourism promotion areas; and amending RCW 35.101.010.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 35.101.010 and 2003 c 148 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
     (1) "Area" means a tourism promotion area.
     (2) "Legislative authority" means the legislative authority of any county with a population greater than forty thousand ((but less than one million)), or of any city or town within such a county, including unclassified cities or towns operating under special charters. However, in counties with a population of one million or more, the legislative authority must be comprised of two or more jurisdictions acting jointly as the legislative authority under an interlocal agreement created under chapter 39.34 RCW for the joint establishment and operation of a tourism promotion area.
     (3) "Lodging business" means a person that furnishes lodging taxable by the state under chapter 82.08 RCW that has forty or more lodging units.
     (4) "Tourism promotion" means activities and expenditures designed to increase tourism and convention business, including but not limited to advertising, publicizing, or otherwise distributing information for the purpose of attracting and welcoming tourists, and operating tourism destination marketing organizations.