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Committee backs HB 4148 amendment to change lodging‑tax distribution and add resiliency grants
Summary
The House Revenue Committee adopted a dash‑7 amendment to House Bill 41 48 to require at least 50% of net local transient lodging tax (TLT) revenue be used for tourism and related facilities and to authorize resiliency grants for small restaurant and lodging businesses; the committee then moved the amended bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.
The House Committee on Revenue adopted the dash‑7 amendment to House Bill 41 48 and moved the amended bill to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation on Feb. 19, 2026. The amendments change the percentages of net local transient lodging tax (TLT) revenue that must support tourism and tourism-related facilities and adjust allowable uses for city and county services.
An unidentified presenter summarized the amendment, saying it changes the minimum share of net local TLT revenue required for tourism or tourism-related facilities "from at least 70% to at least 4%" in the initial language and, in the dash‑7, "modifies the percent of net revenue used for tourism to related facilities and small businesses, and resiliency grants to be not less than 50%" (Unidentified Presenter). The amendment also clarifies that city and county services may include emergency and non-emergency services, allows jurisdictions that adopted TLT before July 2, 2003 to use the new percentages, and moves reporting duties from the Department of Revenue to the Legislative Revenue Office with biannual summary requirements.
Representative Raschke raised concerns that the resiliency-grant language could let local governments allocate promotion funds to small food businesses that might not advance tourism, warning that "tourism just won't happen on its own. You have to promote it." Vice Chair Walters and Representative Marsh defended the compromise, with Walters saying it will help smaller communities hire first responders and handle visitor surges.
The committee voted to adopt the dash‑7 amendment and then voted to move HB 41 48, as amended, to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. The chair announced the motions passed.
The amendment also added a report requirement and a Legislative Revenue Office study; local jurisdictions will file reports on odd-numbered years by Sept. 1 under the amendment. The committee identified carriers for the bill before closing the work session.
(Reporter’s note: the transcript records statements and the chair announcing motions passed; detailed roll‑call tallies in the provided segments are present but not consistently labeled by member name in the excerpt. Consult the committee minutes for the official roll‑call record.)
