S-1803

AN ACT Relating to the creation of a task force on tourism promotion and development; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that:

(1) The attraction of visitors to this state can enhance the economic well-being of our citizens by increasing the jobs and income derived from commerce with tourists traveling in the state.

(2) The state has valuable natural beauty, man-made, and scenic attractions, and the promotion of these attractions by cooperative efforts between the public and private sectors can significantly contribute to economic growth and employment opportunities. Cooperation between the public and private sectors requires a mechanism to coordinate the variety of efforts aimed at promoting and developing tourism in our state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A task force to the legislature on tourism promotion and marketing is hereby created. The task force shall consist of nine members from the private sector, four members from the public sector, and three ex officio members. The private sector members shall represent the Washington state hotel/motel association, the Washington state restaurant association, the Washington association of convention & visitor bureaus, the association of Washington business, the Washington retail council, the Washington public ports association, and the Washington chamber of commerce executives. The governor shall appoint the private sector members from recommendations made by each of the associations to be represented. Consideration shall be given so as to maintain a state-wide balance of representatives appointed. The public members must include two members from the house of representatives and two members from the senate. The public members must be chosen respectively by the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives. The director of the tourism development division, or the director's designee, the director of the state parks and recreation commission, or the director's designee, and a representative of the attorney general's office shall sit as ex officio members of the task force.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The task force may by majority vote establish working groups to focus on specific issues in the tourism industry.

(2) The task force shall by majority vote prescribe rules of procedure for itself and its working groups that are consistent with this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The task force or its working groups are authorized to study tourism promotion and related issues and prepare, for legislative and executive consideration, a comprehensive proposal for the establishment of a private commission to market Washington state and its tourism advantages. The proposal must include, but is not limited to:

(1) An evaluation of existing state laws, policies, and programs that promote or affect state tourism marketing;

(2) The level of state interdepartmental cooperation needed to ensure an effective and coordinated continuing tourism program within the state agencies;

(3) A clear determination of the economic impact to the state of an aggressive, continuous state-wide tourism marketing program;

(4) Recommendations from public and private sector organizations concerning the establishing of a legislatively established state-wide tourism commission, its structure, its membership, and its objectives;

(5) A specific proposal and plan for the funding from private sources of an acceptable working budget for the commission;

(6) The procedure for the established commission to develop a state-wide marketing plan that addresses all areas of the state and the state's relationship to the commission, to other states, and to other nations.

The task force shall study the roles and responsibilities of the public and private sector and make recommendations for the roles, responsibilities, and interrelationship between the tourism division and the private commission.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The department of community, trade, and economic development shall provide the task force with the necessary staff support.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Members of the task force shall serve without additional compensation, but must be reimbursed for their travel expenses, in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 44.04.120, incurred while attending sessions of the task force or meetings of working groups, engaged on other task force business authorized by the task force, or going to and coming from task force meetings.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. All expenses of the task force, including salaries and expenses of employees, must be paid upon voucher forms as provided by the auditor and signed by the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the task force and attested by the secretary of the task force. The authority of the chairperson and secretary to sign vouchers continues until their successors are selected after each ensuing session of the legislature. Vouchers may be drawn on funds appropriated generally by the legislature or upon any special appropriation that is provided by the legislature for the expenses of the task force, or both.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The task force shall cooperate, act, and function with legislative committees, executive agencies, and private organizations within the tourism industry.

The task force shall report to the legislature by January 31, 1998, outlining its findings and recommendations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. This act expires June 30, 1998.