This has been an exciting week with a lot of action in anticipation of the transmittal deadline.  Transmittal date, February 28, is the half way point when all general (non-revenue) bills must move to the other Chamber.   Immediately following this date, Legislators take a well deserved transmittal break from March 1 – 4, 2007.   This is an opportune time to visit with your local representatives on legislation that is pertinent to your communities. 

Two major pieces of legislation that could have a substantial statewide effect saw floor action this week:

Tourism Partners Plan – “Best Place First Initiative” SB 284 (Moss): This bill, as amended, passed second reading in the Senate with a vote of (37-13) on Thursday.  SB 284 was referred to the Senate Finance and Claims Committee, who took executive action on Friday and was passed out of committee with a unanimous vote (17-0).  This bill will now need to go back to the Senate Floor. As currently amended, this bill redirects approximately 70% of the 3% lodging selective sales tax and the 4% vehicle rental tax and distributes the funds to protect Montana’s sense of place through cultural and heritage partners such as: Historical Society, Heritage Commission, State Parks, Cultural Trust, Heritage Properties; increase funding for Tourism Research (ITRR); and strengthen tourism marketing and promotion efforts on behalf of Travel Montana, the Tourism Regions, the funded Convention Visitor’s Bureaus and tribal tourism. The plan, in its third amended form, demonstrates a return on investment of $1.04 for every dollar taken from the general fund.  Keep close watch of this bill as it is on a long and windy road.

Amending the Big Sky on the Big Screen Act, HB 40 (Gallik).  This bill, as amended, passed 3rd Reading in the House with a vote of 59-39 and has been transmitted to the Senate.  This bill would increase the tax credit on both employment and qualified expenditures, eliminate the million dollar cap, and simplify the application process. The bill, as amended, would increase the tax credits (employment tax credit to 14% and qualified expenditures to 9%) and includes a requirement that production companies certify in writing that Montana vendors have been paid in full prior to claiming any tax credits.

Other Highlights from this past week:

HB 517 (Branae): – Revise scenic byways laws.  This bill will remove certain means by which a roadway may be excluded and includes expertise in tribal issues by a member of the advisory council.  This bill was tabled in House Transportation Committee.  

HB 667 (O’Hara): Funding for Lewis and Clark Tourism Site endowments. This bill, as amended, allocates $2 million from the general fund to Lewis and Clark tourism site endowments through the Board of Trustees of the Montana Historical Society.  It passed out of the House State Administration Committee by unanimous vote (18-0).  

HB 691 (Villa): Create Montana Film Arts Program.  This bill provides grants to school districts that meet certain requirements in order to create film and media arts training programs at the High School and Middle School level; provides funding for film equipment and a film instructor for up to 120 students for a minimum of two years; and provides a pathway for students to enroll in a film media arts program at a unit of the Montana university system upon completion of the High School level program.  A Hearing was held in the House Education Committee on 2/19/07, no action taken as of this date.

SB 299 (Moss): Revise laws on historic preservation and cultural tourism, this bill authorizes state agencies to lease state-owned historic buildings to parties who will preserve and use them, or exchange them for other comparable properties.  It also authorizes the creation of heritage preservation & cultural tourism commissions.  Passed 3rd Reading (30-20) and is transmitted to the House.

SB 418 (Weinberg): revise distribution of lodging facility use taxes for certain qualifying cities.  This bill adds a new category of entity that qualifies as a CVB within the lodging facility use tax law to include a zoning district.  Passed 3rd Reading (44-6) and is transmitted to the House.

 

Upcoming highlights:

HB 348 (Keane):  Increase out-of-state snowmobile fees.  This bill is scheduled for hearing in House Appropriations Wednesday 2/28/07, upon House adjournment. 

HB 574 (Hiner): Assist Deer Lodge in rebuilding Rialto theater.  This bill is scheduled for hearing in House Appropriations Wednesday 2/28/07, upon House adjournment.

 

The Montana Promotion Division is monitoring a number of bills that effect administration of state programs, as well as various aspects of the tourism and film industry.  The chart below is for introduced bills that may have a direct impact on the accommodation tax or issues important to the tourism and film industry

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.

 

Bill Type - Number	Primary Sponsor	Status	Status Date	Short Title
HB 2	John Sinrud	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Appropriations	02/14/2007	General appropriations act
HB 5	Tim Callahan	(H) Hearing-- (H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning	02/06/2007; 8 AM, Rm 472	Long-range building appropriations
HB 9	Dave Kasten	(H) Hearing-- (H) Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning	02/13/2007; 8 AM, Rm 350	Cultural and aesthetic grants
HB 40	Dave Gallik	(H) Transmitted to Senate	02/19/2007	Revise state movie incentive laws
HB 100	Bob Bergren	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Taxation	01/26/2007	Improve management of DOR collection responsibilities
HB 106	Douglas Cordier	(S) Hearing-- (S) Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs	03/07/2007; 9 AM, Rm 422	Remove Commerce as ombudsman regarding Flathead Lake management
HB 147	Mike Jopek	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Taxation	01/31/2007	Revise and clarify application of bed tax and sales and use tax
HB 199	William J Jones	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Appropriations	02/21/2007	Water-based recreational access donations/donor recognition
HB 235	Ernie Dutton	(H) Transmitted to Senate	02/14/2007	Business improvement district law
HB 284	Shannon Augare	(H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended-- (H) Fish, Wildlife and Parks	02/23/2007	Improve Giant Springs state park - agreement with Little Shell Tribe
HB 299	Mike Milburn	(H) Transmitted to Senate	02/14/2007	Revise laws governing ski areas and passenger ropeways
HB 348	Jim Keane	(H) Rereferred to Committee-- (H) Appropriations	01/26/2007	Increase out-of-state snowmobile fees
HB 377	Harry Klock	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	01/30/2007; UPON ADJ, Rm 102	Appropriation for forest service history museum and education center
HB 451	Julie French	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	02/12/2007; UPON ADJ, Rm 102	Small town renewal program
HB 480	Bob Lake	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	02/06/2007; UPON ADJ, Rm 102	Fund restoration, operation, and maintenance of Daly mansion
HB 517	Gary Branae	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Transportation	02/20/2007	Revise scenic byways laws
HB 519	Dave Kasten	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	02/13/2007; 9 AM, Rm 102	Fund Montana cowboy hall of fame
HB 531	Carol Lambert	(H) Committee Report--Bill Passed-- (H) Appropriations	02/23/2007	Designate warrior trail
HB 539	George G Groesbeck	(H) Hearing-- (H) Appropriations	02/13/2007; 9 AM, Rm 102	Appropriate funds for Butte-Silver Bow cultural development
HB 574	Cynthia Hiner	(H) Referred to Committee-- (H) Appropriations	02/06/2007	Assist Deer Lodge in rebuilding Rialto theater
HB 667	Jesse O'Hara	(H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended-- (H) State Administration	02/22/2007	Funding for Lewis and Clark tourism site endowments
HB 691	Dan Villa	(H) Hearing-- (H) Education	02/19/2007; 3 PM, Rm 137	Create Montana Film Arts Program
HB 759	Gordon R Hendrick	(H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended-- (H) Fish, Wildlife and Parks	02/23/2007	Revise fee system funding search & rescue/search & rescue advisory council
HJ 3	John L Musgrove	(H) Filed with Secretary of State	02/12/2007	Urge port of Wild Horse be kept open 24 hours
HJ 12	Kevin T Furey	(H) Tabled in Committee-- (H) Fish, Wildlife and Parks	02/07/2007	Urge designation of Milltown dam reclamation area as state park
SB 29	Frank Smith	(S) Transmitted to House	01/12/2007	Establish Robert E. Ewing Jr. memorial highway
SB 76	Kim Gillan	(S) Transmitted to House	02/17/2007	Revise law on agency access to tax and revenue information
SB 78	Lane L Larson	(S) Transmitted to House	02/10/2007	Clarify stream access from bridges
SB 88	Bob Hawks	(S) Transmitted to House	01/10/2007	Extend allocation of funding to heritage preservation and development account
SB 100	Larry Jent	(S) Transmitted to House	02/20/2007	Revise outfitter laws/ felony outfitting without license
SB 106	Sam Kitzenberg	(S) Tabled in Committee-- (S) Fish and Game	01/23/2007	Portion of Brush Lake as state park
SB 107	Sam Kitzenberg	(S) Tabled in Committee-- (S) Fish and Game	01/23/2007	Portion of Culbertson overlook as state park
SB 174	Jim Elliott	(S) Hearing-- (S) Taxation	01/11/2007; 9 AM, Rm 405	Revise laws on revenue administration
SB 231	Joseph (Joe) Tropila	(S) Tabled in Committee-- (S) Finance and Claims	02/22/2007	Tax reform study committee
SB 233	Jim Elliott	(S) Transmitted to House	02/07/2007	Allow multiple counties to create museum districts
SB 275	Sam Kitzenberg	(S) 2nd Reading Indefinitely Postponed*	02/14/2007	Local option sales tax
SB 284	Lynda Moss	(S) Committee Report--Bill Passed-- (S) Finance and Claims	02/23/2007	Revise allocation of bed tax and taxes on rental cars
SB 299	Lynda Moss	(S) Transmitted to House	02/17/2007	Revise laws on historic preservation and cultural tourism
SB 301	Lynda Moss	(S) Transmitted to House	02/17/2007	Authorize bond issuance for historic preservation
SB 318	Jim Peterson	(S) Transmitted to House	02/16/2007	Extend recreational use immunity to aircraft
SB 320	Kim Gillan	(S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading	02/22/2007	Revise resort tax -- delete population and designation requirement
SB 418	Dan Weinberg	(S) Transmitted to House	02/21/2007	Revise distribution of lodging facility use taxes
SB 431	Greg Lind	(S) 2nd Reading Passed on Voice Vote	02/23/2007	Revise standards for hot springs
SB 520	Carolyn Squires	(S) Hearing-- (S) Highways and Transportation	02/22/2007; 3 PM, Rm 405	Revise registration of fleet vehicles
SB 525	Jim Elliott	(S) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended-- (S) Taxation	02/22/2007	Clarify duties of state treasurer regarding deposit of tax and fees
SJ 3	Dan Weinberg	(S) Transmitted to House	02/08/2007	Urge funding for restoration of parks, battlefields, and monuments
SR 2	Sam Kitzenberg	(S) Tabled in Committee-- (S) Fish and Game	02/01/2007	Urge purchase of Brush Lake and Culbertson overlook as state parks

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Remember, the legislature has now set up a system for contacting representatives by e-mail. 
http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/60th/default.asp

Until next week…

 

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