By: Wentworth S.B. No. 1523

(In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2007; March 20, 2007, read first time and referred to Subcommittee on Emerging Technologies and Economic Development; April 19, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute from Committee on Business and Commerce by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 19, 2007, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1523 By: Janek

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to facilitating and supporting efforts of certain municipalities and counties to promote economic development by hosting certain major sporting or athletic events.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 1507, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999 (Article 5190.14, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section 5C to read as follows:

Sec. 5C. SPORTING EVENT TRUST FUND FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES. (a) In this section:

(1) "Endorsing county" means a county with a population of 800,000 or more that contains a site selected by a site selection organization for one or more games.

(2) "Endorsing municipality" means a municipality with a population of 600,000 or more that contains a site selected by a site selection organization for one or more games.

(3) "Event support contract" means a joinder undertaking, a joinder agreement, or a similar contract executed by an endorsing municipality or endorsing county and a site selection organization.

(4) "Game" means a National Collegiate Athletic Association regional tournament or playoff game, a Senior Olympic activity, including a training program or feeder program sanctioned by the National Senior Games Association, or a major sporting or athletic event sanctioned by a site selection organization. The term includes any events and activities related to or associated with the games.

(5) "Site selection organization" means the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, USA Track & Field, the United States Volleyball Association, the World Karting Association, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and USA Cycling.

(b) If a site selection organization selects a site for a game in this state pursuant to an application by a local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county, not later than three months before the date of the game, the comptroller shall determine for the two-week period that ends at the end of the day after the date on which the game will be held or, if the game occurs on more than one day, after the last date on which the game will be held, in accordance with procedures developed by the comptroller:

(1) the incremental increase in the receipts to this state from taxes imposed under Chapters 151, 152, 156, and 183, Tax Code, and under Title 5, Alcoholic Beverage Code, within the market areas designated under Subsection (c) of this section, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the game and related events;

(2) the incremental increase in the receipts collected by this state on behalf of each endorsing municipality in the market area from the sales and use tax imposed by each endorsing municipality under Section 321.101(a), Tax Code, and the mixed beverage tax revenue to be received by each endorsing municipality under Section 183.051(b), Tax Code, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the game and related events;

(3) the incremental increase in the receipts collected by this state on behalf of each endorsing county in the market area from the sales and use tax imposed by each endorsing county under Section 323.101(a), Tax Code, and the mixed beverage tax revenue to be received by each endorsing county under Section 183.051(b), Tax Code, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the game and related events;

(4) the incremental increase in the receipts collected by each endorsing municipality in the market area from the hotel occupancy tax imposed under Chapter 351, Tax Code, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the game and related events; and

(5) the incremental increase in the receipts collected by each endorsing county in the market area from the hotel occupancy tax imposed under Chapter 352, Tax Code, that is directly attributable, as determined by the comptroller, to the preparation for and presentation of the game and related events.

(c) For the purposes of Subsection (b)(1) of this section, the comptroller shall designate as a market area for the game each area in which the comptroller determines there is a reasonable likelihood of measurable economic impact directly attributable to the preparation for and presentation of the game and related events, including areas likely to provide venues, accommodations, and services in connection with the game based on the proposal provided by the local organizing committee to the comptroller. The comptroller shall determine the geographic boundaries of each market area. An endorsing municipality or endorsing county that has been selected as the site for the game must be included in a market area for the game.

(d) Each endorsing municipality or endorsing county shall remit to the comptroller and the comptroller shall deposit into a trust fund created by the comptroller and designated as the Sporting Events trust fund the amount of the municipality's or county's hotel occupancy tax revenue determined under Subsection (b)(4) or (5) of this section, less any amount of the revenue that the municipality or county determines is necessary to meet the obligations of the municipality or county. The comptroller shall retain the amount of sales and use tax revenue and mixed beverage tax revenue determined under Subsection (b)(2) or (3) of this section from the amounts otherwise required to be sent to the municipality under Sections 321.502 and 183.051(b), Tax Code, or to the county under Sections 323.502 and 183.051(b), Tax Code, and deposit into the trust fund the tax revenues, less any amount of the revenue that the municipality or county determines is necessary to meet the obligations of the municipality or county. The comptroller shall begin retaining and depositing the local tax revenues with the first distribution of that tax revenue that occurs after the first day of the two-week period described by Subsection (b) of this section and shall discontinue retaining the local tax revenues under this subsection when the amount of the applicable tax revenue determined under Subsection (b)(2) or (3) of this section has been retained. The Sporting Events trust fund is established outside the state treasury and is held in trust by the comptroller for administration of this section. Money in the trust fund may be disbursed by the comptroller without appropriation only as provided by this section.

(e) In addition to the tax revenue deposited in the Sporting Events trust fund under Subsection (d) of this section, an endorsing municipality or endorsing county may guarantee its obligations under a game support contract and this section by pledging surcharges from user fees, including parking or ticket fees, charged in connection with the game.

(f) The comptroller shall deposit into the Sporting Events trust fund a portion of the state tax revenue determined under Subsection (b)(1) of this section in an amount equal to 6.25 times the amount of the local sales and use tax revenue and mixed beverage tax revenue retained and the hotel occupancy tax revenue remitted by an endorsing municipality or endorsing county under Subsection (d) of this section.

(g) To meet its obligations under a game support contract or event support contract to improve, construct, renovate, or acquire facilities or to acquire equipment, an endorsing municipality by ordinance or an endorsing county by order may authorize the issuance of notes. An endorsing municipality or endorsing county may provide that the notes be paid from and secured by amounts on deposit or amounts to be deposited into the Sporting Events trust fund or surcharges from user fees, including parking or ticket fees, charged in connection with the game. Any note issued must mature not later than seven years from its date of issuance.

(h) The money in the Sporting Events trust fund may be used to pay the principal of and interest on notes issued by an endorsing municipality or endorsing county under Subsection (g) of this section and to fulfill obligations of this state or an endorsing municipality or endorsing county to a site selection organization under a game support contract or event support contract, which obligations may include the payment of costs relating to the preparations necessary or desirable for the conduct of the game and the payment of costs of conducting the game, including improvements or renovations to existing facilities or other facilities and costs of acquisition or construction of new facilities or other facilities.

(i) A local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county shall provide information required by the comptroller to enable the comptroller to fulfill the comptroller's duties under this section, including annual audited statements of any financial records required by a site selection organization and data obtained by the local organizing committee, an endorsing municipality, or an endorsing county relating to attendance at the game and to the economic impact of the game. A local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county must provide an annual audited financial statement required by the comptroller, if any, not later than the end of the fourth month after the date the period covered by the financial statement ends.

(j) The comptroller shall provide an estimate not later than three months before the date of a game of the total amount of tax revenue that would be deposited in the Sporting Events trust fund under this section in connection with that game, if the game were to be held in this state at a site selected pursuant to an application by a local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county. The comptroller shall provide the estimate on request to a local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county. A local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county may submit the comptroller's estimate to a site selection organization.

(k) The comptroller may make a disbursement from the Sporting Events trust fund on the prior approval of each contributing endorsing municipality or endorsing county for a purpose for which an endorsing municipality or endorsing county or this state is obligated under a game support contract or event support contract. A disbursement may not be made from the trust fund that the comptroller determines would be used for the purpose of soliciting the relocation of a professional sports franchise located in this state.

(l) If a disbursement is made from the Sporting Events trust fund under Subsection (k) of this section, the obligation shall be satisfied proportionately from the state and local revenue in the trust fund.

(m) On payment of all state, municipal, or county obligations under a game support contract or event support contract related to the location of any particular game in this state, the comptroller shall remit to each endorsing entity, in proportion to the amount contributed by the entity, any money remaining in the Sporting Events trust fund.

(n) This section may not be construed as creating or requiring a state guarantee of obligations imposed on this state or an endorsing municipality or endorsing county under a game support contract or other agreement relating to hosting one or more games in this state.

(o) The comptroller may not undertake any of the responsibilities or duties set forth in this section unless a request is submitted by the municipality and the county in which the game will be located. The request must be accompanied by documentation from a site selection organization selecting the site for the game.

SECTION 2. Subsection (a), Section 7, Chapter 1507, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999 (Article 5190.14, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

(a) The department shall review requests from a local organizing committee, endorsing municipality, or endorsing county that the department, on behalf of the state, enter into a games support contract that is required by a site selection organization in connection with the committee's, municipality's, or county's bid to host any of the games. This section does not affect or apply to an event support contract under Section 5A, [or Section] 5B, or 5C of this Act to which the department is not a party.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

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