Texas Senate Bill SB1959

Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

• Out of Senate Committee: 4/7/09
• Voted on by Senate: 4/16/09

Caption

Relating to the allocation of revenue from the state hotel tax for certain purposes in certain municipalities.

Impact

The bill stipulates that eligible municipalities will receive two percent of the hotel tax revenue generated from hotels within their localities. However, the funds allocated can only be used for the one-time removal of trash and litter from state-owned rivers and their riverbeds within the municipality. This provision is intended to enhance environmental cleanliness and support local governmental initiatives to maintain natural recreation areas, ultimately benefiting residents and visitors who utilize these resources.

Summary

SB1959 aims to amend Chapter 156 of the Tax Code, specifically focusing on the allocation of revenue derived from the state hotel tax. The bill targets municipalities with populations of less than 75,000 that are located in counties with a park and recreation district created under Chapter 324 of the Local Government Code. It also specifies that these municipalities must have experienced over 175,000 tourist visitations for recreational activities along state-owned rivers in the preceding fiscal year. This targeted revenue allocation, as outlined in the bill, aims to provide financial resources to those municipalities for a specific purpose.

Contention

A notable concern regarding SB1959 may involve whether the allocated funds will be sufficient for the municipalities' litter removal efforts, considering the specific requirements they must meet to access these funds. Additionally, the requirement for municipalities to document tourist visitation numbers and expenses relating to litter removal may raise administrative burdens for smaller local governments. There could also be discussions about fairness regarding the distribution of hotel tax revenues, especially between larger municipalities with more extensive tourist attractions and smaller ones trying to enhance their own environmental efforts.