Committee hears bill to create Kansas sports-tourism grant program; proponents urge post‑event payouts and rural carve‑outs

The House committee took testimony on House Bill 2346, a proposal to create the Kansas Sports Tourism Grant Program to help communities recruit and retain sporting events by providing limited state grants, proponents and committee staff said at a committee hearing.

The bill would establish a Kansas Sports Tourism Grant Committee to review applications and recommend awards; direct the secretary of commerce to disburse approved grants from a Kansas Sports Tourism Program grant fund; and limit total annual grants to a transfer of $3,575,000 from the State Economic Development Initiatives Fund beginning July 1, 2025. Committee members and witnesses discussed eligibility criteria, measurement of economic impact and hotel room nights, administration, and a requested amendment to change how awards are administered.

Provisions and thresholds in the draft bill include a two‑tier allocation of award funds: 60% for events the committee determines will generate at least $2,500,000 in economic impact and 3,000 consumed hotel room nights, and 40% for events that generate at least $250,000 in economic impact or a minimum of 500 consumed hotel room nights. The bill also directs that at least 30% of the smaller‑event allocation be set aside for projects in counties other than Johnson, Wyandotte and Sedgwick. The draft lists eligible expenses (promotions and marketing, bid efforts, site fees, rights fees, rental of equipment or flooring among others) and excludes certain costs (facility building or renovation, debts incurred before receipt of the grant, hospitality or social functions that include alcohol, and other specified exclusions).

The draft limits maximum grants by category: for the larger category the bill text references a maximum award of $100,000 per event and for the smaller category $50,000 per event. The bill requires a post‑event report that must include an economic impact report using the Destinations International Event Impact Calculator (an industry tool named in the bill), an accounting of expenses by category and proof of payment at least equal to the grant amount, and a narrative on event outcomes and future plans. If enacted, the bill would take effect July 1, 2025.

Proponents from destination marketing organizations and event operators said Kansas needs a state sports‑tourism fund to remain competitive with other states. "This grant would be post event, not pre event," said Warren Wilkerson, president and CEO of Visit Overland Park, describing a proposed amendment the proponents prepared that would disburse funds after tax revenues are collected and impact is verified. Wilkerson and other witnesses cited examples of tournaments that drew overnight visitors and said those events produce measurable tax revenue for state and local governments.

Jeremy McDowell, owner of Top Gun Events, described a large fast‑pitch softball invitational that draws hundreds of teams and said operators can and do track hotel placements and room counts under contract. "Everything we do in sports tourism as large events is contractual ... I will know where every team stays and how many rooms they've taken," McDowell said, adding that operators that do not provide verifiable data would not be eligible for funds.

Witnesses and committee members pressed on administrative and measurement questions. Representative Williams asked who may apply; committee staff said the bill does not provide a narrow definition but contemplates event owners and a required sponsor, often a destination marketing organization or sports commission. The revisor explained the secretary of commerce will assist applicants in calculating economic impact and the bill requires use of the Destinations International calculator and the secretary’s assistance, but the bill does not set a detailed method for separating impact when multiple events overlap in time and place.

Committee members also asked whether grants are paid before or after events. Under the bill as filed grant funds are disbursed by the secretary after the committee approves awards; proponents offered draft amended language to change the program to post‑event payouts to eliminate the state's revenue risk. The revisor confirmed there is no clawback provision in the draft bill.

Other issues raised in committee discourse included: potential exclusion of awards to major national professional sports organizations, how to ensure smaller and rural communities can access funds when hotel blocks or tracking data are limited, and how the program would interact with local transient guest taxes and existing local investments in tourism and facilities. Alan Carr, identified as executive director of Visit Kansas City, Kansas and president of a tourism association, said his organization submitted neutral written testimony because members needed more time to vet the proposed amendments but supported a program that benefits destinations statewide.

Event organizers warned of calendar pressure from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Kansas City area. McDowell said his Top Gun invitational is scheduled June 10–14, 2026, and that World Cup activity beginning June 16 has already limited hotel availability; he said he had about 2,000 pledged room nights but needed roughly 3,000 to host the event and that hotels often will not finalize bookings until 12 months before an event.

Committee staff noted a requested amendment placed on the committee drive that would shift selection authority toward the Department of Commerce and change elements of grant calculation and administration. Committee members said they expect to work the bill further with proponents and stakeholders to address rural access and tracking concerns. No formal committee vote on the bill or on the proposed amendment was recorded at the hearing; the committee closed the public hearing and said further work could follow.

The hearing record includes proponents from Visit Shawnee, Visit Overland Park and multiple event operators who emphasized return on investment and the ability to measure post‑event collections; several representatives voiced support for a post‑event, ROI‑based approach. The committee indicated it would consider revised language and additional tracking mechanisms as the bill moves through committee process.

The committee closed the hearing on HB 2346 and adjourned; no floor action or final committee vote was taken during the session recorded in the transcript.