SB 5492 — Concerning sustainable state tourism promotion.

S-1231.1S-0775.1 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5492 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senate Business, Financial Services & Trade (originally sponsored by Senators Riccelli, Chapman, Cleveland, Dozier, Goehner, Harris, Krishnadasan, and C.

Wilson)Wilson READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/06/25.01/24/25.

Referred to Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade.

amending RCW 43.384.03043.384.030; and 43.384.050;

1 SSBSB 5492 and sustainable funding mechanism for statewide tourism promotion and management.

2 SSBSB 5492 geography, size of business, gender, and ethnicity.

(1) The chair of the board of directors of the tourism marketing authority must appoint a tourism self-supported assessment advisory groupgroup. no later than two weeks following the p.

3The SSBadvisory 5492group effectivemust dateevaluate the viability of thisan section.p.

The3 advisorySB group5492 must evaluate the viability of an industry self-supported assessment to fund statewide tourism promotion and recommend procedures to establish the self-self-supported supported assessment.

(4) The boardtourism ofself-supported directorsassessment ofadvisory thegroup tourism marketing authority must complysubmit withits therecommendations requirementsin ofwriting RCWto 43.18A.020the inlegislature makingby appointmentsNovember provided1, in2025. this section.

The(5) departmentThis ofsection commerceexpires mustJune provide1, the2026. report required in RCW 43.18A.020.

(5) The tourism self-supported assessment advisory group must submit its recommendations in writing to the legislature by November 1, 2025.

(6) This section expires June 1, 2026.

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4 SSB 5492 Sec.

4.

RCW 43.384.050 and 2019 c 291 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) From amounts appropriated to the department for the authority and from other moneys available to it, the authority may incur expenditures for any purpose specifically authorized by this chapter including:

(a) Entering into a contract for a multiple year statewide tourism marketing plan with a statewide nonprofit organization ((existing on June 7, 2018,)) whose sole purpose is marketing Washington to tourists.

The marketing plan must include, but is not limited to, focuses on rural tourism-dependent counties, natural wonders and outdoor recreation opportunities of the state, including sustainable whale watching, attraction of international tourists, identification of local offerings for tourists, and assistance for tourism areas adversely impacted by natural disasters ((.

In the event that no such organization exists on June 7, 2018, or the initial contractor ceases to exist, the authority may determine criteria for a contractor to carry out a statewide marketing program));

(b) Contracting for the evaluation of the impact of the statewide tourism marketing program;

and (c) Paying for administrative expenses of the authority, which may not exceed two percent of the state portion of funds collected in any fiscal year.

(2) All nonstate moneys received by the authority under RCW 43.384.060 or otherwise provided to the authority for purposes of matching funding must be deposited in the authority's private local account created under RCW 43.384.020(4) and are held in trust for uses authorized solely by this chapter.

(3) "Sustainable whale watching" means an experience that includes whale watching from land or aboard a vessel that reduces the impact on whales, provides a recreational and educational experience, and motivates participants to care about marine mammals, the sea, and marine conservation.

(4) The authority may incur expenditures for the purposes of section 3 of this act until June 30, 2026.

54 SSBSB 5492