Rep. Hill wins committee approval for bill to lock tourism land‑sale proceeds for park repairs
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Summary
Representative Hill secured committee passage of SB248 to direct proceeds from select Department of Tourism land sales into a guarded fund dedicated to deferred maintenance at the state’s 37 parks; members pressed for oversight and raised questions about the Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO) and targeting proceeds to specific parks.
Representative Hill introduced SB248 on the floor of the committee as a mechanism to create a restricted fund for proceeds from sales of certain Department of Tourism land, saying the money would be used only for deferred maintenance on the state’s parks and not for general administrative costs.
"This simply provides a fund by which instead of it going into the general fund of tourism... it would make it more specific to the use," Representative Hill said, urging adoption and noting the state’s deferred maintenance backlog is roughly $191,000,000. He told members the proposal is intended as a "guardrail system" so sale proceeds would not be diverted to payroll or other general expenditures.
Members asked several oversight and process questions. Representative Townley asked how the measure interacts with CLO rules and whether sales under CLO law would require replacement acreage; Hill responded that CLO has a right of first refusal and that the Department of Tourism’s land sales are governed by different rules than CLO acreage requirements. "CLO has right of first refusal," Hill said, and he offered to bring Tourism staff to the committee for further briefing.
Representative Shaw asked whether proceeds could be targeted to repairs at the same park where land is sold. Hill said that specific targeting is not in the bill text but that such discussions could follow in oversight conversations: "That's specifically not in the bill, but I do think those are conversations ... once again you as chairman and the members of this committee that have oversight".
Hill and other members listed examples of assets the department has labeled "losing"—including several golf courses that, Hill said, generate roughly $141,000 in revenue annually yet would require about $20,000,000 to bring up to current standards. Hill argued sales of nonproducing or high‑cost parcels could provide revenue to reduce overall deferred maintenance estimated near $200,000,000.
Representative Provanzano and other members asked whether the board of the Department of Tourism or legislative oversight would approve specific sales; Hill said current authority rests with the department board (which is appointed by the legislature, the senate and the governor) and that the bill focuses on dedicating proceeds, not changing the sale authority.
After members' questions, the committee voted by voice tally, 9 yays and 1 nay, and the chair declared SB248 passed.
What happens next: The committee approved the bill for advancement; Hill said he would facilitate further conversations with Department of Tourism staff to clarify oversight, property lists and priorities for deferred‑maintenance spending.