Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1717 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Oliveira (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 1717
2		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2015;
3		-	April 28, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
4		-	Natural Resources and Economic Development; May 20, 2015, reported
5		-	favorably by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 20, 2015,
6		-	sent to printer.)
7		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	H.B. No. 1717
8	2
9	3
10		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
11	4		AN ACT
12	5		relating to the use of municipal hotel occupancy taxes by certain
13	6		municipalities for ecological and space exploration-related
14	7		tourism.
15	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
16	9		SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 351, Tax Code, is amended
17	10		by adding Section 351.1054 to read as follows:
18	11		Sec. 351.1054. ALLOCATION OF REVENUE FOR ECOLOGICAL TOURISM
19	12		AND SPACECRAFT AND SPACEPORT ACTIVITIES BY CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES.
20	13		(a) In this section, "spacecraft" and "spaceport" have the
21	14		meanings assigned by Section 507.001, Local Government Code.
22	15		(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, an
23	16		eligible barrier island coastal municipality may use revenue from
24	17		the municipal hotel occupancy tax for:
25	18		(1) promotional and event expenses for an ecological
26	19		tourism event, including an event for which the primary attraction
27	20		is traveling to an area of natural or ecological interest for the
28	21		purpose of observing and learning about wildlife and the area's
29	22		natural environment, if:
30	23		(A) a majority of the event's participants are
31	24		tourists; and
32	25		(B) the event substantially increases economic
33	26		activity at hotels and motels within or in the vicinity of the
34	27		municipality; and
35	28		(2) expenses directly related to:
36	29		(A) the acquisition of sites to observe
37	30		spacecraft and spaceport activities; and
38	31		(B) the construction, improvement, enlarging,
39	32		equipping, repairing, operation, and maintenance of facilities
40	33		utilized by hotel guests to observe and learn about spacecraft and
41	34		spaceport operations.
42	35		(c) A municipality may use for the purposes provided by
43	36		Subsections (b)(1) and (2) not more than the greater of:
44	37		(1) 15 percent of the hotel occupancy tax revenue
45	38		collected by the municipality; or
46	39		(2) the amount of tax received by the municipality at
47	40		the rate of one percent of the cost of a room.
48	41		SECTION 2. Section 351.1055(d), Tax Code, is amended to
49	42		read as follows:
50	43		(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter and
51	44		except as provided by Subsection (e), an eligible barrier island
52	45		coastal municipality shall use at least the amount of revenue
53	46		derived from the application of the tax at a rate of seven percent
54	47		of the cost of a room for the purposes authorized under Sections
55	48		351.101(a)(1) and (3) and Sections 351.1054(b)(1) and (2). If an
56	49		eligible barrier island coastal municipality uses hotel occupancy
57	50		tax revenue for a purpose described by Section 351.1054(b)(2), the
58	51		municipality may not reduce the amount of revenue that is used for
59	52		purposes described by Section 351.101(a)(3) to an amount that is
60	53		less than the average amount of revenue used by the municipality for
61	54		purposes described by Section 351.101(a)(3) during the 36-month
62	55		period that precedes the municipality's first use of revenue for a
63	56		purpose described by Section 351.1054(b)(2).
64	57		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
65	58		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
66	59		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
67	60		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
68	61		Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
69		-	* * * * *
	62	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	63	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	64	+	I certify that H.B. No. 1717 was passed by the House on April
	65	+	23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 137, Nays 2, 2 present, not
	66	+	voting.
	67	+	______________________________
	68	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	69	+	I certify that H.B. No. 1717 was passed by the Senate on May
	70	+	23, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.
	71	+	______________________________
	72	+	Secretary of the Senate
	73	+	APPROVED: _____________________
	74	+	Date
	75	+	_____________________
	76	+	Governor