| Chapter 328 |
| 2021 -- H 5361 Enacted 07/09/2021 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT |
Introduced By: Representatives Amore, Kazarian, and Henries |
| Date Introduced: February 05, 2021 |
| 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) seven (7) regional tourism districts |
| to be administered by the tourism council, convention and visitor's bureau, or the Rhode Island |
| commerce corporation established in chapter 42-64 of this title as designated in this section: |
| (1) South County district, which shall include Westerly, Charlestown, Narragansett, South |
| Kingstown, North Kingstown, Hopkinton, Exeter, Richmond, 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, and East Providence |
| to be administered by the Blackstone Valley tourism council, inc.; |
| (4) Aquidneck Island district consists of Barrington, Bristol, Warren, Newport, Jamestown, |
| Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Little Compton to be administered by the Newport and |
| Bristol 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 Providence to be administered by an entity that shall be acceptable to the economic |
| development corporation; provided that all funds generated in the city of East Providence shall be |
| held by the Rhode Island division of taxation until such time as the city of East Providence elects |
| to become a member of a regional tourism district at which time the monies held by the Rhode |
| Island division of taxation shall be transferred to the tourism district or convention visitors' bureau |
| selected by the city of East Providence; |
| (8) (8)(7) Statewide district consists of all cities and towns not delineated in subdivisions |
| (1) through (7)(6) to be administered by the Rhode Island commerce corporation established in |
| chapter 42-64 of this title. |
| (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 the Northern Rhode Island |
| regional tourism district shall be required to apply to and receive approval from the Rhode Island |
| commerce corporation pursuant to guidelines promulgated by the Rhode Island commerce |
| corporation. The corporation shall review the eligibility of the regional tourism district |
| organizations to receive the funds at least annually. |
| (c) On or before January 1, 2016, and every January 1 thereafter, all regional tourism |
| districts created under these sections shall be required to seek and obtain the approval of the |
| executive office of commerce regarding the incorporation of common statewide marketing themes, |
| logos, and slogans, among other features, prior to the release of lodging tax funds to the districts. |
| (d) Upon proper notice to the Rhode Island division of taxation from the city of East |
| Providence and the Blackstone Valley tourism council that the city has elected to become a member |
| of the Northern Rhode Island district, all funds previously generated in the city of East Providence |
| and held in escrow by the Rhode Island division of taxation shall be allocated fully and in their |
| entirety to the Blackstone Valley tourism council for the direct benefit and support of tourism |
| activities within the city of East Providence. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC000212 |
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