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Committee probes HTA governance and next steps after SB 15‑71 restructuring
Summary
Lawmakers and HTA leadership discussed the impact of recent legislation (referred to in testimony as SB 15‑71) that changed HTA’s structure and reporting lines. Legislators asked why HTA had not presented a governance plan earlier and requested details about the governance permitted interaction group's work and the consultant governance study.
Members of the House and Senate tourism committees questioned HTA and DBEDT officials about the implementation and next steps following recent legislation the briefing repeatedly referenced as SB 15‑71. Committee members said the bill changed HTA’s governance, removed procurement exemptions, and altered how the agency receives and administers funds.
DBEDT’s director told the committee that the bill transformed HTA from a board that previously approved a budget to an advisory board structure in which HTA reports to DBEDT and the governor’s office; the director said the change should create clearer fiscal timing by aligning HTA funding to a calendar year so grantees know funding earlier. Legislators pressed why the governance study published last year had not produced concrete follow‑up proposals for implementation, and they asked whether HTA would move forward with the governance study’s recommendations.
HTA board members and permitted‑interaction‑group members told the committees they had received the governance study and that a phase‑two deliverables report — based on interviews with board and staff — described shortcomings the agency should correct; several committee members argued the board should more actively move those recommendations into specific bills or administrative steps ahead of the 2026 legislative session.
Lawmakers asked HTA to provide the phase‑two deliverables report, a timeline for addressing the governance recommendations, and a plan for how any statutory changes would be brought forward. Several said if HTA cannot produce an actionable plan soon, legislative action may be required to change the agency’s structure or oversight in future sessions.
