BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1950

By: King, Ken

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Tourism in Texas has been an important economic development tool, generating revenue and jobs for the Texas economy. It is an industry that consistently needs to be stimulated, and the major events reimbursement program was created to attract various types of events to Texas. The program permits local governments and organizing committees to apply to the state for help paying for certain eligible costs associated with conducting specifically named major events. C.S.H.B. 1950 places several new events on the list of events eligible for program funding and makes certain other changes relating to event eligibility.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1950 amends the Government Code to make the following events and associated site selection organizations eligible for funding under the major events reimbursement program:

· the Bassmaster Classic and Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, LLC;

· a Federation Equestre Internationale World Cup Final and the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI);

· a Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) World Supercross Championship race and SX Global; and

· the Professional Bull Riders World Finals and Professional Bull Riders, LLC.

The bill makes all events of the National Reined Cow Horse Association Championship Series eligible for program funding by removing language restricting such eligibility to championship events in that series. The bill specifies that the Formula One race that is eligible for program funding is the U.S. Grand Prix and that a successor of Formula One Management Limited is an eligible site selection organization.

C.S.H.B. 1950 classifies each series of games for the World Cup soccer tournament held in a market area designated for that series as a separate, single event for the purposes of eligibility for funding under the major events reimbursement program.

C.S.H.B. 1950 establishes that, for purposes of eligibility for funding under the major events reimbursement program and the events trust fund, an otherwise eligible sporting event is considered to be held one time in each year if the event is held only one time in any annual season for that sport.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1950 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Both versions make the Professional Bull Riders World Finals and that event's associated site selection organization eligible for funding under the major events reimbursement program, but the substitute also makes the following events and their associated site selection organizations eligible:

· the Bassmaster Classic;

· a Federation Equestre Internationale World Cup Final; and

· a Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) World Supercross Championship race.

The substitute includes provisions not in the introduced that do the following:

· make all events of the National Reined Cow Horse Association Championship Series eligible for program funding;

· specify that the Formula One race that is eligible for program funding is the U.S. Grand Prix and that a successor of Formula One Management Limited is an eligible site selection organization;

· classify each series of games for the World Cup soccer tournament held in a market area designated for that series as a separate, single event; and

· establish that an otherwise eligible sporting event is considered to be held one time in each year if the event is held only one time in any annual season for that sport.