Texas House Bill HB1197

Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Caption

Relating to the allocation of hotel occupancy tax revenue collected by certain municipalities.

Impact

The impact of HB1197 could significantly influence local governments, particularly those in larger municipalities or regions with substantial tourism. It mandates that affected municipalities allocate a minimum of 23% of the hotel occupancy tax revenue for specific supported purposes, with the flexibility to allocate funds for operation and maintenance of convention centers. These stipulations may help ensure that valuable tourism revenue is effectively directed towards promoting local economy and attraction infrastructure.

Summary

House Bill 1197 is focused on the allocation of hotel occupancy tax revenue collected by municipalities. The bill introduces amendments to Section 351.103 of the Texas Tax Code, establishing new rules for how municipalities can allocate this tax revenue based on population thresholds and total tax collected. Specifically, the bill states that municipalities collecting more than $2 million in hotel occupancy tax or those with populations exceeding 200,000 that share a border with certain municipalities will follow a different allocation procedure.

Contention

Notable points of contention could arise over the implications of the population thresholds set by the bill, which may be viewed as advantageous to larger municipalities while potentially sidelining smaller communities. Critics may argue that the classifications create an unequal distribution of tourism-derived revenue and do not adequately address the needs of less populated areas. Moreover, concerns about how municipalities will balance the allocation for bond repayment versus operational expenses could also lead to significant discourse around the best practices for managing such funds.