26RS HB 679

House Bill 679

Actions

Last Action	02/19/26: to Committee on Committees (H)
Title	AN ACT relating to tourism and declaring an emergency.
Bill Documents	Introduced
Bill Request Number	1807
Sponsors	A. Thompson, J. Blanton, C. Fugate
Summary of Original Version	Amend KRS 142.406 to require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to establish criteria to administer a regional marketing and matching funds program; require the program to provide financial and marketing assistance for projects that directly support the promotion and marketing efforts of a tourism attraction event or geographic area; establish 9 tourism regions in the state; require a tourism regional committee to be established within each tourism region; set requirements for the appointment of members to the tourism regional committee; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to establish terms and operating policies of the tourism regional committees; require at least 25% of the moneys available in the tourism, meeting, and convention marketing fund to be divided equally among the tourism regions for the payment of eligible expenses; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to work in partnership with the tourism regional committees to use the money provided to the tourism regions; require at least 10% of the moneys in the tourism, meeting, and convention marketing fund to be dedicated to the regional marketing and matching funds program; require the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to implement initial strategic plans for marketing and promoting tourism in each tourism region; mandate reporting to the Legislative Research Commission by the secretary of the cabinet; create a new section of KRS Chapter 148 to mandate reporting by the commissioner of the Department of State Parks to the Legislative Research Commission on state park occupancy rates; EMERGENCY.
Index Headings of Original Version	Administrative Regulations And Proceedings - Regional marketing and matching funds program, tourism regions Administrative Regulations And Proceedings - Tourism regional, committees, establishment to qualify for matching funds Advertising - Regional marketing and matching funds program, tourism regions Boards And Commissions - Tourism regional, committees, establishment to qualify for matching funds Effective Dates, Emergency - Regional marketing and matching funds program, tourism regions Funds - Regional marketing and matching funds program, distribution of moneys Parks And Shrines - State parks, occupancy rates, reporting requirement Reports Mandated - Department of State Parks, occupancy rates report Reports Mandated - Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, tourism regions, strategic plan report State Agencies - Department of State Parks, occupancy rates reporting requirement State Agencies - Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, regional marketing and matching funds program Tourism - Regional marketing and matching funds program, tourism regions Tourism - Tourism regions, establishment, marketing and matching Funds program