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Committee holds first hearing on House Bill 138 to allow tourism promotion districts
Summary
Sponsors told the Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee House Bill 138 would allow local creation of tourism promotion districts funded by visitor assessments; sponsors and members discussed revenue use, local control, board composition and consumer lodging costs. No vote was taken.
Chair Miller opened the Arts, Athletics and Tourism Committee and invited sponsors to present House Bill 138, legislation to authorize creation of tourism promotion districts in Ohio. Representative Davila and Representative Santucci described the proposal as a permissive, industry-led mechanism that would let local hotel owners form self-funded districts to pay for marketing and tourism activities with no state or local general-fund cost.
Sponsors said the districts would raise revenue through assessments passed through to visitors and would be formed by a written plan developed by hotel owners, include a protest procedure requiring hotel-owner approval of a local ordinance, and could authorize tourism nonprofits to manage a district with term limits for board members. "TPDs are a proven source of stable,…
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