Bill > SB5251

This bill modifies existing Washington state law regarding the use of lodging tax revenues, primarily clarifying and updating provisions related to how these funds can be spent and reported. The bill allows municipalities to use lodging tax revenues for tourism marketing, special event marketing and operations, and supporting tourism-related facilities owned by municipalities, public facilities districts, or certain nonprofit organizations. Applicants seeking to use these revenues must now provide estimates of how their projects will increase travel, specifically tracking trips that involve overnight stays, travel over 50 miles, or travel from outside the local area. In municipalities with 5,000 or more residents, applicants must submit their proposals to a local lodging tax advisory committee, which will then recommend funding recipients to the municipality. Recipients are required to submit detailed reports on actual travel impacts, and these reports must be made publicly available and shared with legislative committees. The bill also makes several minor technical changes, such as updating numeric representations (e.g., changing "fifty" to "50") and clarifying language about capital expenditures. An important exception is noted for counties with populations of 1,500,000 or more, which are not subject to these specific reporting requirements.

Business and Industry

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5251&Year=2025&Initiative=false