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Senate advances changes to tourism marketing fund, adds rural pilot
Summary
Senate debated first substitute House Bill 22 to revise tourism marketing fund methodology, tie growth thresholds to CPI, apply NAICS weighting to receipts and create a small rural pilot for Box Elder, Daggett, Emery and Kane counties; sponsor cited economic data and senators pressed for fiscal clarifications.
Senators discussed and moved forward House Bill 22, a set of changes to Utah's tourism marketing performance fund that reshapes how the program measures tourism revenue and allocates incentives. Sponsor Senator Vickers said the revisions adopt a weighted NAICS‑code methodology, tie the growth threshold to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index rather than an arbitrary 3 percent, and create a pilot program ("RURism") allowing a small portion of coop funds to support marketing pilots in four largely rural counties.
"We actually hit a billion dollars in total tourism revenue last year," Vickers told the Senate while outlining the bill's performance indicators and the BEBR (Bureau of Economic and Business Research) review used to recommend NAICS weighting. He said the pilot includes Box Elder, Daggett, Emery and Kane counties and is intended to help areas that currently receive few out‑of‑state visitors.
Several senators asked technical and fiscal questions — including whether CPI should be national or state, how the 10% pilot allocation is calculated, and why certain counties were selected. Senator Jenkins said he supported the measure but cautioned about protecting the fund as it grows, noting past experience in other states where funds were reallocated. Sponsor Vickers agreed to follow up on precise statutory language and technical references before third reading.
Next steps: sponsor moved HB 22 for third reading after floor discussion; clerk recorded the roll call and the bill was ordered read for a third time.
