Req. No. 1562 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021) SENATE BILL 903 By: Leewright AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to Oklahoma Tourism Develo pment Act; amending Section 6, Chapter 19 6, O.S.L. 2017, as amended by Section 4, Chapter 44 3, O.S.L. 2019 (68 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 2396), which relates to tourism project agreements; modifying the term of certain agreement; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 6, Chapter 196, O.S.L. 2017, as amended by Section 4, Chapter 443, O.S.L. 2019 (68 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 2396), is amended to re ad as follows: Section 2396. A. Upon granting final approval, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department may enter into an agreement with an approved company with respect to its tourism attraction project. The terms and pro visions of each agreement shall includ e, but shall not be limited to: 1. The amount of approved costs, which shall be determined by negotiations between the Executive Director and the approved company; Req. No. 1562 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. A date certain by which the approved company shal l have completed the tourism attractio n project or an individual component or phase of the project if the tourism attraction project is an Entertainment District. Within three (3) months of the completion date of the whole or an individual component or ph ase of the project, the approved compa ny shall document its actual costs of the project through a certification of the costs by an independent certified public accountant acceptable to the Executive Director; and 3. The following provisions: a. the term of the agreement shall be ten (10) years fifteen (15) years from the later of: (1) the date of the final approval of the tourism attraction project, or (2) the completion date specified in the agreement, if the completion date is within three (3) years of the date of the final approval of the t ourism attraction project. However, the term of th e agreement may be extended for up to two (2) additional years by the Executive Director, with the advice and consent of the Oklahoma Tax Commission, if the Executive Director determines that the failure to complete the tourism Req. No. 1562 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 attraction project within th ree (3) years resulted from: (a) unanticipated and unavoidable delay in the construction of the tourism attraction project, (b) an original completion d ate for the tourism attraction project, as originally planned, which will be more than three (3) years f rom the date construction began, or (c) a change in business structure resulting from a merger or acquisition, b. in any tax year during which an agreem ent is in effect, if the amount of sales tax to be re mitted by the approved company or an Entertainment District Tenant Party, if applicable, exceeds the sales tax credit available to the approved company or Entertainment District Tenant Party, if applicab le, then the approved company or Entertainment Distri ct Tenant Party, if applicable, shall pay the exces s to this state as sales tax, c. within forty-five (45) days after the end of each calendar year the approved company shall supply the Executive Director with such reports and certifications as the Executi ve Director may request Req. No. 1562 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 demonstrating to the satisf action of the Executive Director that the approved company is in compliance with the provisions of the Oklahoma Tourism Development Act, and d. the approved company or an Entertainment District Tenant Party, if applicable, shall not receive an inducement with respect to any calendar year if: (1) with respect to any tourism attraction project that is not an Entertainment District in any calendar year following the fourth year of the agreement, the tourism at traction project fails to attract at least fifteen percent (15%) of its visitors from among persons who are not residents of this state, or (2) in any calendar year following the first year of the project or the tourism attraction project is not operating and open to the public on a regular and consistent basis, which for a tourism attraction project that is an Entertainment District shall mean that a substantial portion of the Entertainment District is n ot operating and open to the public on a regular and consistent basis. Req. No. 1562 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 B. The agreement shall not be tr ansferable or assignable by the approved company without the written consent of the Executive Director but, with respect to a tourism attraction project that is an Entertainment District, the approved comp any can elect to pass - through all or a portion of t he sales tax credit to one or more Entertainment District Tenant Parties in accordance with Section 2397 of this title. C. If the approved company util izes or receives inducements which are subsequently d isallowed then the approved company will be liable for the payment to the Tax Commission of an amount equal to (i) all taxes resulting from the disallowance of the inducements plus applicable penalties a nd interest, whether owed by the approved company or an Entertainment District Tenant Party to which the credits have been passed -through in accordance with Section 2397 of this title, and/or (ii) all incentive payments previously received by the approved company, plus applicable penalties and interest. Only the approved company originally allowed a sales t ax credit shall be held liable to make such payments and not any Entertainment District Tenant Party to whom the credit has been passed -through in accordance with Section 2397 of this title. D. The Executive Director shall provide a copy of each agreement entered into with an approved company to the Tax Commission. Req. No. 1562 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 E. For a tourism attraction project that is an Entertainment District and anticipated to have multiple components or phases, the Executive Director may enter into more than one agreement with different approved companies for the different components or phases of the Entertainment District and such agreements may be entered into at different ti mes as though the different components or phases of the Entertainment District are their own separate pr oject. In such case, the Executive Director shall not be required to obtain a separate consultant’s report (referred to in subsection C of Section 2394 of this title) for each individual component or phas e of the Entertainment District, but only one consu ltant’s report for the entire Entertainment District. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021. 58-1-1562 QD 1/21/2021 4:33:03 PM