[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6634852,"mediaKeyId","2661814-2413ba24b9c6f2fe5d7d67ad406d5535","parentId",2661814,"title","Tourism department asks legislature to replace lost federal marketing dollars with $25M in state funding","audioSeconds",563,"startMs",7069690,"endMs",7633040,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2661814-2413ba24b9c6f2fe5d7d67ad406d5535&start=7069&end=7633","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2661814-2413ba24b9c6f2fe5d7d67ad406d5535/thumbnail_7069690.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6634852/Tennessee/Tourism-department-asks-legislature-to-replace-lost-federal-marketing-dollars-with-25M-in-state-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634852-7f2115957d2dcd4758585c16185ef0e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771111608&Signature=SrB6d5R5twuZXMBWMd56vktJ5GdRcwPUV4Cj1p5YRIucBcJkP-EmcraTXkFgbGyPr6dTuIf57K7llwRq4pxC8uLMWiaPjMH8E9yUK9bygjRy7RR8QHt7EaP2bSSLGb8CwsWIh4aVuG3KT3~FWU7Rq0AQfzbKdoObFNGUQ6~fqZAwC9JDQT00~CKeisY-pUngb3~AD44IOoyZD7gEfIx-P7gXoPKt4U5rMtnqEmIDG6klUGo15kN8wXRFV7yzPafihb0-R1~STJh6WHLAYPeIGglGQWVxzMmDjSUFchBC-AJKPWuxiCMMo-P4yrTq3EqbbluLh~NB~SfxnxjXbCzLCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN House of Representatives","date","2025-03-17T15:34:54.843Z","article","The Department of Tourist Development told the Finance, Ways and Means Committee on March 17 that Tennessee's visitor economy generated about $30 billion in visitor spending last year and asked the legislature to replace federal marketing funds with a $25 million state investment.

Commissioner Mark Ezell said that, using a 7 percent blended tax figure, the department's estimate of $30 billion in visitor spending translates into about $2 billion of state and local tax receipts. \"When visitors pay, residents benefit,\" he said, citing a departmental analysis that places Tennessee in the top tier of states for tax savings per household from visitor spending.

The department asked the legislature to replace the expiring federal drawdown by approving $25,000,000: $10,000,000 in new recurring funds and $15,000,000 nonrecurring to keep promotional and destination-development programs running. Ezell said the larger recurring component would permit multi-year commitments in overseas markets and other campaigns that the department had pursued while federal CARES and ARPA funds were available.

Transportation and market-access initiatives were a recurring part of the presentation. The department highlighted two new direct international routes—an April 10 nonstop from Dublin, Ireland, and service tied to Icelandair—and estimated a combined economic impact of about $125,000,000 from those route partnerships. Department officials said those linkages serve as \"jumper markets\" connecting Tennessee to broader European travel networks.

Officials also described local and rural work funded with recent marketing capacity. Assistant commissioner Melanie Beauchamp described destination-development work in dozens of counties, including a program branded \"Bill Dance Signature Lakes\" that will cover 14 lakes across 39 counties with an approximate combined project investment of about $25,000,000 in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and private sponsors. The department said occupancy-tax receipts in participating counties have risen sharply in some cases — one cited example moving from $5,000 to $500,000 over several years.

Members asked about operational items tied to visitor services. The department is taking on administrative responsibility for 16 state welcome centers (the rest areas remain under TDOT) and reported 15 vacancies among welcome-center staff. Officials said a vendor, Jones Lang LaSalle, will handle maintenance contracts that fall outside in-house staff skills and that Allied Security provides 24/7 coverage at welcome centers (except one downtown Memphis location that closes at 11 p.m.). Department representatives noted nine of 16 welcome centers already have adult changing tables.

The department said short-term-rental collections have improved after legislative changes that allow the Department of Revenue to collect occupancy taxes on behalf of counties, and that increased registration and collection improved revenue available to smaller counties.

Commissioners also described their marketing strategy and the role of recurring funding: staff said the recent federal dollars allowed the agency to expand advertising into new markets and win additional flight seats into Tennessee airports (the agency cited an increase of roughly 2.1 million seats attributable to new markets versus six years prior). The department framed its pitch to lawmakers around the return on investment from marketing that generates incremental out-of-state sales tax.

Ending: Department officials asked the committee to consider the governor's budget proposal to partially replace expiring federal funds with state dollars so the department can continue multi-year marketing, rural destination development and sporting-event attraction programs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee- March 17, 2025- House Hearing Room 1","oneSentenceSummary","At a March 17 hearing, the Department of Tourist Development described visitor-economy gains and asked for $25 million (including $10 million recurring) to replace federal funds that supported a multi-year marketing program; department officials highlighted economic returns and rural destination development.","taxTitle","Finance, Ways, and Means, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",31062,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6634856,"TBI requests new positions, proposes wastewater testing pilot funded by opioid abatement",278,3392630,3670690,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2661814-2413ba24b9c6f2fe5d7d67ad406d5535&start=3392&end=3670","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2661814-2413ba24b9c6f2fe5d7d67ad406d5535/thumbnail_3392630.jpg","/articles/6634856/Tennessee/TBI-requests-new-positions-proposes-wastewater-testing-pilot-funded-by-opioid-abatement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634856-a3901bf8ebb72244a310b64efec3d182/orig.mp4?Expires=1771111608&Signature=hy~1CE975LYsJbMEzzEc6KUrqzKjA5boxMDifHQlC53cgBO61dB15X-fN2ryqUEdBMXrC4xJ35X4PGHGoCpXMF~jydfEGJTHMweKuMzdINoC-BtSY7f8Lrg~sDx8DQjFjLCxCwnslG1m3ULXv2rQeWkRu9lKaniBqfDdQ2IcbMw1xXJi4P2ZoVkqSjPC6FVkDsnCffrQk41PRF4eYEjbQmRLTHHyAbNHaDpumJM5SMwSHoO9uTlkAr8RyphN0sul9mshUvVmAhE7IfV5dfPYtbmY1~vGkG~j1Lkc9~0x4qmxXjMMHiyNHii1vd~pHld8yd2wj9tzcSsCcJZ9NS7vLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation asked the Finance, Ways and Means Committee on March 17 for additional staff and a nonrecurring pilot to expand early drug detection capabilities and investigative support.

Director David Rausch outlined personnel requests across the agency that he said address gaps created by bureau growth: four victim-services positions to assist victims during investigations; seven intelligence-analyst positions to collect and process information for investigators; a four-person aviation crew to expand aircraft operations; two TBI police officers for facility protection in Memphis and Chattanooga; two Medicaid-fraud data-analytics positions (75% federally funded); and three administrative-support roles for human resources, legal and communications.

Rausch described a wastewater testing pilot to be funded with opioid-abatement monies. The $3,000,000 nonrecurring proposal would pay a contractor to sample wastewater in East Tennessee, including a set of institutional sites and some ad hoc community locations. \"The idea is to really get a feel for what's happening in specific areas,\" Rausch said, explaining the method identifies drugs present in a sewer catchment and can give an earlier indication of new substances than laboratory casework alone.

Leader Cox and other committee members pressed for details. Rausch said the pilot is intended primarily for early identification and prevention connections with the Department of Health and mental-health partners rather than direct enforcement, though he said ad hoc sampling could be used when communities report suspected drug houses to help prioritize surveillance.

The TBI reported progress reducing forensic evidence inventory: the bureau told the committee that in February 2024 it held 15,940 pieces of evidence and by February 2025 the inventory had fallen to 6,975. Rausch provided turnaround-time snapshots for sexual-assault evidence kits (\"kit only\") of 5.4 weeks in Nashville, 11.9 weeks in Knoxville and 12.8 weeks in Jackson; combined \"kit plus\" measures were longer in some locations.

On aviation operations, Rausch said the TBI's fixed-wing and surveillance assets are operationally distinct from the Department of Safety's primarily helicopter assets and that the agencies coordinate when both platforms are needed.

During the expansion-request portion of the hearing, Rausch sought approval for a CJIS supervisor within the Tennessee Instant Check System (TICS), noting the position's compensation and audit/training responsibilities will be funded from TICS fees. He said TICS fees remain $10 per background check and that the TICS reserve held about $7,000,000 at the time of the hearing.

Rausch told the committee some of the bureau's other funding requests were submitted as \"opportunity asks\" and were not funded in the governor's budget; he said the bureau would continue to press for resources in future cycles. The committee took no immediate action; members requested additional cost and scope details on the wastewater pilot and the aviation expansion.

Ending: The committee asked TBI for more detailed cost estimates and operational plans for the wastewater pilot and the new aviation and analytic positions; the CJIS supervisor expansion will be funded from TICS fees if approved.","Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch asked the Finance committee for multiple personnel additions to support victim services, intelligence and aviation operations, and proposed a $3 million wastewater testing pilot funded by opioid-abatement dollars to detect emerging drugs earlier.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6634861,"Tennessee Finance Department seeks recurring funds for technology, continues VCIF growth request",2067,1093735,3161420,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2661814-2413ba24b9c6f2fe5d7d67ad406d5535&start=1093&end=3161","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2661814-2413ba24b9c6f2fe5d7d67ad406d5535/thumbnail_1093735.jpg","/articles/6634861/Tennessee/Tennessee-Finance-Department-seeks-recurring-funds-for-technology-continues-VCIF-growth-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634861-74964d630043b10dd36c923a1b61eef6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771111608&Signature=NLAwCdLvS~Jse-7MfTAWwXnQ9sFPGPTNjb4SwGTY69me4p-B4UP8uNLq2zI0W5TxlTJpGuEvrt9XM5rgq-VeSNGa1p~EEyyFbTwtf1FOUEAOol9OnhQl8yF9rJKsNImoVxSDGQGO1tMzuSQgkbdb~pGLkOK4~Jae~g8k-qf9dr6H3YEGsK7ZWtAO5B-T6TLZjKZ3inIgmoKn4cdfJtHyZg2sYqruXPCFrKM-ykXwwhRLBP0k7ab7jZ93b7FOK~6oo4YWK-Va37HD3rfMR4k1cHQp3IKUfOkTEWN~GbGwArmqJ-QibPFFGZCr1BHNwRKQZqPqyYOUUVog33yzVL~c-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration told the Finance, Ways and Means Committee Monday that its 2026 budget request emphasizes technology modernization and continued support for law-enforcement grant programs while identifying $4.8 million in reductions.

\"Most but not all of our requests that you'll see in front of you reflect the increasing importance of technology to the efficient delivery of government services,\" Commissioner Jim Bryson told the committee as he opened the department's presentation. Bryson identified cloud migration, expanded artificial-intelligence tools and an enterprise resource planning replacement among the top priorities.

The department said the agency's package includes cost increases totaling \"almost $81,000,000,\" of which roughly $31.5 million is from state appropriations and about $30,000,000 of that is nonrecurring. The presentation highlighted several specific requests:

- A $5,000,000 request for ADA compliance remediation tied to newly updated federal accessibility requirements for customer-facing websites, mobile apps and forms.

- Investments to continue migration from on-premises data centers to cloud storage and a proposed $40,000,000 estimate tied largely to relocating the North Data Center and establishing connections in Dallas and Virginia, with some capacity to remain in the state's South Data Center in Smyrna.

- A $4,800,000 line labeled for security enhancements; the department said these tools and technologies will continue protections started with ARPA-funded implementations.

- An enterprise grants-management system requested for the Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP) to manage a large increase in administered grants; OCJP staff told the committee the number of grants overseen grew from 284 in 2018 to 952 in 2024.

- Continued funding for Vine (VINE) court-notification services that the presentation said is already live in 86 Tennessee counties and recorded 36,426 registrations and 189,100 notifications in calendar year 2024.

The department also described an ongoing role in administering law-enforcement grant programs. Jennifer Brinkman, director of OCJP, summarized results from the Violent Crime Intervention Fund (VCIF), saying: \"For fiscal year 2026, the governor has proposed an additional 30,000,000 for the Violent Crime Intervention Fund to continue the support of our law enforcement partners.\" Brinkman said OCJP has obligated the entire $150,000,000 across more than 300 contracts, reaching about 250 law-enforcement agencies and supporting purchases including P25 radios, digital-forensic software and a regional digital-forensic center.

Committee members pressed staff on several operational details. Deputy Speaker Zachary asked whether a prior $6,700,000 appropriation for data-center equipment had achieved its goals; department staff said that appropriation was \"appropriate\" for that year but noted ongoing upgrade needs as migration continues. Zachary and others asked about the $40,000,000 North Data Center relocation estimate; deputy commissioner Eugene Neubert said it covers establishing two connections, equipment moves and consulting to vacate the facility.

On technology billing, the committee discussed the Statewide Technology Services (STS) internal service fund. Stephanie Dedmon, Tennessee's chief information officer, described STS as \"an internal service fund\" that recovers costs through agency rates and said the unit must bill federally funded agencies at the same rates as others. Dedmon said STS has simplified its rate structure in recent years and adjusts rates to recover costs when new or higher-priced contracts arrive.

On cybersecurity, Dedmon said the state blocks more than a million attempts across email and network vectors and that training completion among state employees has reached about 95 percent in peak periods. \"We have implemented a number of tools that help us much better detect and not allow those attacks or intrusion into our environment,\" she told the committee.

Bryson reiterated that the department identified $4.8 million in reductions tied to efficiencies and provider changes, and that the department is not requesting new headcount while relying on existing vacancies where new roles are needed.

The department closed by inviting committee questions and offering follow-up on specific green-sheet items and other line‑item clarifications.

The committee did not take a final vote on any item at the hearing; the department's requests will be considered as part of the broader appropriations process.

Ending: The Finance, Ways and Means Committee received briefings and asked for follow-up on several specifics — notably details on the proposed cloud and data‑center work, the structure of STS rates, and the deployment timeline for additional VCIF funding — and the department said it would provide written responses on requested items.","At a March 17 Finance, Ways and Means Committee hearing, Commissioner Jim Bryson outlined a Department of Finance and Administration budget that prioritizes technology modernization, grant-management systems and continued funding for the Violent Crime Intervention Fund while identifying $4.8 million in reductions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tourism department asks legislature to replace lost federal marketing dollars with $25M in state funding

TBI requests new positions, proposes wastewater testing pilot funded by opioid abatement

Tennessee Finance Department seeks recurring funds for technology, continues VCIF growth request