It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 42-63.1-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-63.1 entitled "Tourism and Development" is hereby amended to read as follows:

42-63.1-5. Regional tourism districts. -- (a) The state of Rhode Island is divided into eight (8) regional tourism districts to be administered by the tourism council, convention and visitor's bureau or the Rhode Island economic development corporation as designated in this section:

(1) South County district which shall include Westerly, Charlestown, Narragansett, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, Hopkinton, Exeter, Richmond and, West Greenwich , East Greenwich and Coventry to be administered by the South County tourism council, inc.;

(2) Providence district consists of the city of Providence to be administered by the Convention Authority of the City of Providence.

(3) Northern Rhode Island district consists of Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Lincoln, Central Falls, Cumberland, North Smithfield, Smithfield, Glocester and Burrillville to be administered by the Blackstone Valley tourism council, inc.;

(4) Aquidneck Island district consists of Newport, Jamestown, Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton and Little Compton to be administered by the Newport County convention and visitors bureau;

(5) Warwick district consists of the city of Warwick to be administered by the city of Warwick department of economic development;

(6) Block Island district which shall consist of the town of New Shoreham to be administered by the New Shoreham tourism council, inc.;

(7) East Bay district which consists of Barrington, Bristol, Warren and East Providence to be administered by an entity that shall be acceptable to the economic development corporation;

(8) Statewide district consists of all cities and towns not delineated in subdivisions (1) through (7) to be administered by the economic development corporation.

(b) Before receiving any funds under this chapter, the organizations designated to receive the funds on behalf of the South County regional tourism district and East Bay regional tourism district and the Northern Rhode Island regional tourism district shall be required to apply to and receive approval from the Rhode Island economic development corporation pursuant to guidelines promulgated by the economic development corporation. The corporation shall review the eligibility of the regional tourism district organizations to receive the funds at least annually.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.