Friday 4.1.11 | Vol. 11.13

To Our Tourism Partners:

Today is the 73rd Legislative Day and the transmittal deadline for appropriations, revenue and referendum bills has passed. Bills that have missed these deadlines will be removed from future updates. We are hearing that the legislature is going to try to finish early so many of the remaining bills are being fast tracked. Three bills of great importance to the tourism industry will be heard in Committee over the next few days. We can expect Executive Action will occur either the same day as the hearing or shortly afterwards.

HB 316 A bill to redistribute certain revenue and income to state general fund- including 10% of the lodging tax, sponsored by Representative Cook is scheduled for a hearing in Senate Finance and Claims TOMORROW, April 2, in room 317 of the capitol. This is a bill that has been opposed by the Department of Commerce and the Tourism Advisory Council. If you have an opinion to share with your Senators it is important that they hear from you.

HB 317 (Cook): Sunset statutory appropriations over certain periods sponsored by Representative Cook is scheduled for a hearing in Senate Finance and Claims Tuesday, April 5, in room 317 of the capitol. This bill includes the lodging tax which would be one of the first to sunset June 30, 2014. This is a bill that has been opposed by the Department of Commerce and the Tourism Advisory Council. If you have an opinion to share with your Senators it is important that they hear from you.

Here are the members of the Senate Finance and Claims Committee

SB 253 Eliminate certain individual and corporation tax credits, introduced by Senator Lake, is scheduled for a hearing in the House Taxation Committee on Monday, April 4. This bill is also tied to SB 372 which lowers business equipment tax. The new version of the bill is now on the LAWS system. This 32 page bill would eliminate a bunch of tax credits including the “Big Sky on the Big Screen Act” film incentive beginning January 1, 2012. This tax incentive is very important to our film and commercial productions as it is always one of the first questions asked by out of state companies; it is a marketing tool that allows a dialogue with these companies to begin. The Department of Commerce and Tourism Advisory Council will be providing testimony in opposition to this bill due to the film provision. If you have an opinion to share with your representatives on the committee it is important that they hear from you.

Here are the members of the House Taxation Committee:

The LAWS site http://laws.leg.mt.gov/laws11/LAW0200W$.startup can provide you with the ability to listen to the minutes of all the legislative committee hearings.

I would remind you that legislators listen best to their constituents. The legislature has a system for contacting representatives by e-mail http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/62nd/legwebmessage.asp or you may leave messages for legislators using the Session Information Desk at 406-444-4800. Messages will be delivered to the lawmakers.

House Bill 2, the general funding bill of the state, passed the Senate and has been sent to a Free Conference Committee. Additionally the House approved HJ2, the revenue estimating bill, which increased the estimate to the level recommended by the Legislative Fiscal Division, but then referred the bill back to the House Taxation Committee. Due to the requirement that a balanced budget must be passed, all expenditures may not exceed the revenue estimates.

Highlights for the week:

HB 2 (McNutt): General Appropriates Act passed the Senate on Monday and has been sent to a Free Conference Committee.

HB 98 (Welborn): Direct proceeds from sale of state parks; deposit in state parks spec. rev. fund. The bill was signed by the Governor and became law.

HB 225 (Welborn): Clarify environmental review requirements for snowmobile trail programs. The bill passed the Senate and is on its way to the Governor’s Office.

HB 458 (Welborn): Revise laws related to outfitting and net client hunter use. This bill was passed by the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee.

HB 528 (Smith): Revise laws regarding cowboy hall of fame. The bill has been transmitted to the Governor’s Office.

HB 610 (Cook): General revise certain fees to implement House Bill No. 2. This bill would take $0.25 from the fishing access sites and give it to State Parks from the optional motor vehicle registration fee. It missed the transmittal deadline for revenue bills.

HB 628 (Stahl): Generally revise laws related to parks and recreational resources. This bill would move the Parks Division from Fish, Wildlife and Parks to the Department of Commerce. It missed the transmittal deadline for revenue bills.

SB 43 (Keane): Revise the primitive parks act. The bill was returned to the House with amendments from the Senate.

Legislative Activity next week:

HB 9 (Hollenbaugh): Cultural and aesthetic grants. The Senate Finance and Claims Committee has a hearing scheduled for Monday, April 4.

HB 316 (Cook): A bill to redistribute certain revenue and income to state general fund- including 10% of the lodging tax. As mentioned above, this bill will be heard tomorrow, April 2 in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.

HB 317 (Cook): Sunset statutory appropriations over certain periods. This bill includes the lodging tax which would be one of the first to sunset June 30, 2014. As mentioned above, this bill will be heard Tuesday, April 4 in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.

HB 375 (Cook): Reduce certain general fund transfers. This bill would reduce funding to state parks. The bill is also scheduled to be heard tomorrow, April 2 in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.

SB 253 (Lake): Eliminate certain individual and corporation tax credits. As mentioned above, this 32 page bill would eliminate a bunch of tax credits including the “Big Sky on the Big Screen Act” film incentive beginning January 1, 2012. This tax incentive is very important to our film and commercial productions as it is always one of the first questions asked by out of state companies; it is a marketing tool that allows a dialogue with these companies to begin. This bill scheduled for hearing in the House Taxation Committee on Monday, April 4.

The chart below is for introduced bills that may have direct impact on the accommodation tax or issues important to the tourism and film industry. I have removed bills that missed the transmittal deadline.

When looking at the status of a bill on this chart, here are some helpful hints:

• Referred to committee means the bill has been assigned to the committee, but the hearing date has not been set.

• Hearing means a hearing is scheduled.

* after status indicates the bill is probably dead
Total number of Introduced Bills - 46
Total number of Introduced and Unintroduced Bills - 100

Unintroduced Bills

* after status indicates the bill is probably dead
Total number of Unintroduced Bills - 54

“Probably Dead" is a Bill Progress Category, and is assigned to those bills that have been voted down or missed a transmittal deadline, and to those bill drafts that have been canceled.

To revive a bill that is "probably dead" typically requires a supermajority vote (usually a 2/3 vote) by the House or Senate.

Your active participation is critical to assure that the tourism and film industry has a voice at the table. Please stay involved!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Until next week…

Anna Marie Moe
Acting Division Administrator
Montana Promotion Division
amoe@mt.gov